Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon
by G-man672
Summary: A reimagining of the Dark Kingdom Arc of Sailor Moon. Schoolgirl Usagi Tsukino's life is forever changed one day when she meets a talking cat named Luna and transforms into Sailor Moon. Now a superheroine, she must fight the evil forces of the Dark Kingdom to save the world from destruction at the hands of Queen Metalia.
1. Legend of the Moon

This is the first chapter of my reimagining of the Dark Kingdom arc of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. It will have all the characters and plot points we are familiar it's, but changes will be made to them. I am changing the personalities of some characters to give them new development and give the group a new dynamic when it all comes together. Certain characters who'll not be introduced in this first chapter, but don't worry, haven't forgotten about them (except Umino, he will not be included. Apologies to anyone who actually liked him for some reason...) Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1: Legend of the Moon

On any other day, the moon shone bright and beautiful like the Sun itself. It's beauty was like that of a jewel floating in the cosmos. On this day, however, it shone with the dark crimson color of blood. Two opposing armies clashed, each side hoping to eradicate the other. Swords cut off heads, spears skewered torsos, and arrows pierced hearts, causing the once shiny and silvery surface of the moon to turn a deep shade of red, as if Heaven itself were turning into Hell.

The Princess of the Moon looked on in horror at the violent scene before her. The moon was supposed to be a peaceful place; a place where no quarrels existed and everyone loved each other. What had happened to her beautiful kingdom? She feared for the safety of her Guardians. They were fierce fighters, but the sheer number of enemies might be too much for them. And what of her mother? Would the confines heavily guarded throne room really be able to hold off the enemy? The anxiety and stress of everything happening around her brought tears to her eyes and caused her heart to tighten. Why did this have to happen? Why?!

Suddenly, the Princess heard a pair of heavy footsteps approaching from behind her. She whirled around, fearing she would be face-to-face with an enemy soldier. However, her heart leapt for joy at the sight of who was actually was approaching. It was her prince, her love, her destiny. He was the only one who could bring comfort to her in this dire Prince was covered in wounds; his armor had been battered, his body was scarred, and his sword was coated in blood. But the important thing was that he was alive, and Princess couldn't be happier because of that fact. She ran into her Prince's arms and they embraced, holding each other tighter than they ever had before, as if somehow their love would end this brutal conflict. Just when all seemed at peace for the two lovers, they felt something go straight through them. It was like a tiny sting at first, but it quickly erupted into a searing pain, as if a fire had been ignited inside their bodies. The two looked down to see a sword had been thrust into the Prince's back, and had subsequently come out the other side and skewered the Princess as well. The two looked into each other's eyes, realizing they were doomed. So this was how their story ended. They leaned in and captured one another's lips one last time. The pain from the stab wound subsided, and everything became numb. Then, as the two deepened their kiss, darkness overtook the star-crossed lovers, and everything became cold.

* * *

"WAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHH! I'M SO LATE!"

As the sun ascended over the horizon, a small, yet screeching voice erupted from a neighborhood household. Usagi Tsukino was late for school… again.

"Moooom! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" The young girl cried out as she leapt from her bed and yanked her school uniform off the hangar.

Mrs. Tsukino rolled her eyes from the kitchen downstairs. "I did, but you just told me to go away so you could get back to making out with the prince." The woman was used to her daughter waking up late for school, but she was in eighth grade now. High school would be here before she knew it and she knew they wouldn't be as merciful for Usagi being late. At this point, she was considering getting a shock collar to "assist" her daughter in waking up.

Usagi scrambled around upstairs like rat navigating a maze. She barely managed to do her hair up in a pair of signature buns that she had worn most of her life. Her school uniform was wrinkled from her wrestling it onto her body, and her backpack was left unzipped as she dashed towards the stairs. Some demented force apparently wanted her to move faster, as she slipped on the first step and traveled the rest of the way down on her rear, miraculously not fracturing her coccyx.

"Owowow! That huuuuurt!" Even though she didn't really fall that hard, Usagi was blubbering like she had just had a limb amputated.

"Maybe if you got up earlier, you wouldn't have to break your butt coming downstairs every morning…" Usagi's little brother Shingo walked in, giving his daily advice/sarcastic remark to his klutzy big sis.

Usagi's forehead popped a vein as she glared at her brother. "Shingo, I swear! In a trunk, off a cliff!" She leapt off the floor and headed for the kitchen. "You're so lucky you don't have to go to school as early as I do!"

With that said, Usagi rushed into the kitchen, snagged her lunch off the counter, and gave her mom a quick peck on the cheek as she whizzed by. "Bye mom! Love you more than anything in the whole wide world!" Before Mrs. Tsukino could respond, the front door was opened and closed in what had to be a millisecond.

"Screwed doesn't even begin to describe what I'm going to be when I get there!" Usagi whined as she sprinted down the street as fast as her petite legs could carry her. Just as she was beginning to reach her top speed, a small black cat stepped out on the sidewalk in front of her, making her stop dead in her tracks.

"Oh no, a black cat! That's eight years of bad luck if I cross its path!" She watched as the cat came to a stop, turning its head toward Usagi as she muttered to herself. "Okay, now just stay where you while I walk around-" He speech was cut short when she noticed the cat was staring directly into her eyes. Suddenly, Usagi felt like she was in a trance. The back of her mind told her to move it or be late again, but her body told her to hold still. She found herself in what could only be described as a waking state of sleep paralysis, as the cat's eyes bored deeper and deeper into her own.

Out of nowhere, a bell rang in the distance, signaling the beginning of the school day. "Waugh! What the heck am I doing?! Now I'm gonna be super late!" She continued on her way down the sidewalk, mentally chastising herself for crossing the cat's path. "Oh well, I've lived with bad luck all my life, I can deal with another eight years," she thought to herself as reassurance. She didn't noticed that the cat never took its eyes off her, even after she was several blocks away.

* * *

Icy winds sent enormous drifts of snow crashing into a tall stone structure. A large castle sat freezing in the middle of the Arctic, obscured to the eyes of any passing creature by a blinding downpour of snow. Any living thing unfortunate enough to wander to close was incinerated by a barrier of dark energy.

Within the dark halls of the castle, a larger marble door creaked open, revealing a tall man with long, white hair. He wore a white uniform with black patterns lining the creases. A small rectangular silver gem stuck out of his forehead. The man walked into the room, silent as a mouse, and took a knee in front of a glass sphere. Inside the sphere, a black and purple mass swirled about, while a demonic whisper emitted from it.

"Kunzite, what do you have to report?" The mass said suddenly in a deep, foreboding voice.

"I have unfortunate news, Queen Metalia. The monster I sent to Osaka last night was destroyed by that heroine Sailor V. I believe it is time we changed our tactics," the man said stoically.

"And what exactly is this change you have in mind?" Queen Metalia said softly.

Kunzite looked up to the sphere with a look of determination. "I believe we should temporarily halt our quest for human energy and focus on killing Sailor V herself before she-"

"NO!" Metalia interrupted in a booming voice, now sounding angry. "We cannot afford to halt our intake of human energy even for a day! I am as weak as I can be, and I must continue to feed on the human energy if I ever hope to reach my full power again. I feel I have been very clear on this before."

"Y-yes… my Queen. Forgive me," Kunzite said weakly.

Queen Metalia sighed. "Perhaps we can change tactics in another way. Send another monster to Tokyo. That city is far away enough from Osaka that we should have a full night's worth of energy without Sailor V interfering."

"Brilliant, my Queen! I shall send out my monster Arachnia at once!" Kunzite said, standing up and placing a fist over his chest.

"Excellent. Make it so, Kunzite," Metalia said, cuing the knight to exit her presence. Kunzite walked backwards out of the room, the heavy marble doors slamming shut in front of him.

Kunzite made his way down the freezing cold hallway towards the barracks, where his monsters lay in wait for his orders. As Kunzite strode along at a leisurely pace, a soft voice suddenly echoed out of the darkness.

"Kunzite… zite… zite…"

The stoic man stopped for a moment, scanning his surroundings. He appeared to be alone, so he continued on his way.

"Kunzite… zite… zite…"

Upon hearing the voice again, Kunzite turned around, ready to confront whoever had the impudence to stalk him. He was greeted only with the black hole that was the opposite direction of the hall. Sighing to himself, he turned back around.

"KUNZITE!"

A man with short blonde hair suddenly leapt out at Kunzite as he turned around, screaming his name into his face. Even though Kunzite appeared unfazed, the other man laughed maniacally at his sick joke.

"What do you want, Jadeite?" Kunzite said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Oh, nothing," Jadeite said, still calming down from laughing. "I'm just practicing my 'fear factor.' What do you think?" he said, gesturing in mock courtesy to Kunzite.

"It was frightening the first 178 times. Now it just irritates me," Kunzite said in a sharper tone, as if trying to make a point to Jadeite.

"Aw, you've been keeping track. I'm touched," Jadeite cooed, batting his eyes at the annoyed Kunzite.

"Perhaps you should practice your fighting prowess instead of playing these little games of yours," Kunzite said.

Jadeite giggled at this statement. "Well, you see, that's why we're partners. When it comes to brute strength, your clearly have me outmatched. But without my stealth and strategy, you wouldn't stand a chance. It's best to break our enemies' minds as well as their bodies, you know."

Kunzite suddenly towered over Jadeite, staring down at him with anger burning in his eyes. "Do not even begin to suggest that your mind is superior to mine!" he snarled.

Jadeite gasped. "You honestly think I would suggest such a thing? That hurts my feelings, brother!" He began laughing again, not even flinching at Kunzite's aggressive advances.

Kunzite backed off and sneered, regaining his composure. "Have you seen Nephrite or Zoisite anywhere?"

Jadeite laughed at this. "Ha! Those two? Last I saw them, they were going out to gaze at the stars together! Oh, they are just precious!"

"I wish they would spend more time on their mission and less on each other…" Kunzite sighed.

"You should take your own advice, given your infatuation with that Sailor V girl!" Jadeite said under his breath.

Obviously hearing what he said, Kunzite grabbed Jadeite by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "WATCH YOUR TONGUE!"

Jadeite quickly held up a finger and shook it. "Ah-ah! Temper, temper! Remember how the Queen reacted when Nephrite and Zoisite had that little quarrel? I'd hate to see how she would feel about us fighting!" Jadeite burst out laughing again, causing Kunzite to toss him aside.

"Get out of my sight," he growled as he stomped down the hall.

"You say that as you walk away from me… how adorable!" Jadeite whispered before slithering back into the shadows.

After that frustrating encounter, Kunzite finally reached the barracks. He swung the door open and marched inside. The numerous monsters that now surrounded him ceased their snarling and squabbling, immediately going silent as their master entered the room. Kunzite glanced around at the abominations that made up his army. Most of them were humanoid, with bodies ranging from muscular and bulky to slim and spindly. Their heads were a mash of different animals, creating visages that could only have come from children's nightmares.

"Arachnia! Come forth!" Kunzite announced suddenly. In a split second, a long, sleek shadow leapt down from the ceiling, but stayed hidden in the shadows.

"Yes, Master Kunzite?" a low, hissing feminine voice spoke from the darkness.

"I have a task for you. It is of great importance, so make sure you do not fail…"

* * *

Usagi stood outside her classroom, unable to enter due to the period already having started. "Man, every time!" she whined to herself. She looked up and down the halls, as if checking for anyone else. "Well, since I didn't have breakfast, I might as well settle for an early lunch."

She reached into her backpack and took out the lunch her mother packed for her. The first thing she took out was a small rice ball, and she licked her lips at the sight of it. She raised it to her mouth to take a bite, when out of the blue the classroom door opened.

"Mind if I have a bite?" A tall red-haired woman stood in the doorway, scowling down at the tiny blonde girl.

"M-Ms. Sakurada!" Usagi stumbled over her words as she faced her teacher, struggling to come up with a new excuse for today. "I.. uh… I-"

"You know, your behavior is what gets you grades like this, young lady!" Sakurada exclaimed as she thrust a piece of paper into Usagi's face. Most of it was gibberish to the young girl, but what stuck out like a sore thumb was the big number 30 written in red pen at the top. It was also circled and underlined several times, as if deliberately trying to rub salt in the wound.

As Usagi stared at the paper in horror, her teacher made her way back into the classroom. "Maybe you can think about your future for the rest of the period!" With that, the door slammed shut and Usagi was left alone in the hall once again.

"Mom is gonna kill me if she sees this!" An idea quickly entered her head. "Then I just won't bring it home!" She crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it behind her, but she was caught off guard when she heard it hit something. Instantly, she felt another presence behind her.

Usagi whirled around, clapping her hands together as if she was going to start begging for forgiveness. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"A thirty? You've got to be kidding." A soft male vice interrupted. "You should probably study harder, Bun-Head."

Usagi's face suddenly warped with rage at the sound of the embarrassing nickname. "Why… you…" She reached forward and snatched the test out of the boys hands. "Just who do you think you are?!"

The tall boy looked down at her. He had black, neatly combed hair and wore the boys' school uniform. He also sported a pair of sunglasses, but behind them, Usagi could make out a pair of jet black eyes. Normally, she would have found a boy like this attractive, if she weren't already so turned off by his comment from a moment ago.

"Nice to meet you. My name's Mamoru Chiba. I just transferred here a few weeks ago. What's your name, Bun-Head?" he said politely. However, Usagi was less than willing to return his kind approach.

"Stop calling me that! My name is Usagi, not Bun-Head!" Usagi said fiercely to Mamoru, who simply smiled back at her.

"Oh. Well, Usagi, are you in eighth grade too? I could probably tutor you if we have any of the same classes-" Mamoru began before Usagi cut him off again.

"Get real! I would never be tutored by a jerk like you! Get lost, weirdo!" Usagi shouted before marching off down the hall, mumbling under her breath. "Stupid jerk… who wear sunglasses indoors anyway?"

Mamoru's eyes followed the girl for a moment, until he eventually shrugged and headed in the opposite direction towards his next class.

* * *

Usagi sat on a bench in the courtyard of her school, staring down sadly at the degrading mark on her test. "Man, Shingo is gonna have a field day with this one…"

From across the courtyard, Usagi heard the sound of girls laughing. At the center of the group, she saw her friend Naru holding her mobile phone, which everyone appeared to be watching something on. Usagi strolled over to them and broke into the group.

"Hey Naru! What're you guys watching?" Usagi asked curiously.

Naru looked up at her blonde friends and beamed. "Usagi! I've been wanting to show this to you! Check it out!" Naru moved her phone so that Usagi could see the screen. On it was a video of a girl in a sailor suit beating up a large reptilian monster. "Sailor V took down another monster in Osaka last night, and someone actually caught it on video this time! Isn't it awesome?!"

Usagi simply looked down and sighed. "Yeah, it's pretty awesome…"

Naru looked worriedly at her best friend. "What's wrong girl? I thought you'd be all over this! I mean, it's Sailor V for crying out loud!"

"Sorry, I'm just dreading going home today. I got a bad grade on my last test and I know my mom is gonna kill me for it." Usagi showed her test to Naru, who quickly began looking as glum as her friend.

"Dang, that sucks." Then, just as quickly as her expression dropped, it suddenly lit back up again and she grabbed Usagi's hands. "I've got it! Mama Naru's got the perfect Tesititis cure for you, girlfriend!"

Usagi looked up curiously. "Really? What is it? Tell me! Tell me!"

"My mom is having a huge blowout sale at the jewelry store she owns! Everything is like seventy-five percent off!" Naru cheered.

Usagi's frown turned upside down at this news. "No way! That's incredible! You mean we're going there after school?"

"Now why would I say such a thing if we weren't? Don't you trust your Mama Naru?" Naru said, batting her eyelashes.

"Ooo, this is so exciting! I can't wait!" The Bun-Headed blonde squealed, seeming to have forgotten all about her test.

* * *

After school was over, Usagi and Naru practically raced each other to the jewelry store. They burst through the glass doors, only to be greeted by a mad crowd of women who were at war over the display cases. The cases themselves were lined with necklaces, bracelets, and rings of all shapes and sizes that sparkled like stars. Women, pushed, shoved, and tackle each other to get at the best prices. Meanwhile, a woman with a loudspeaker stood at the edge of the crowd with a megaphone in hand.

"Now, don't be greedy, everyone! Remember, everything is seventy-five percent off, but only for today! So take your time and pick out whatever you want!" the woman said into the megaphone, before dropping it and grinning to herself. "And once you've bought all your precious jewelry, I'll use it to drain your energy for my great ruler! Soon you shall all bow before her!"

"Hi, mom!" Naru seemed to have snuck up behind her mother and was now placing hand on her shoulder, startling the woman. "Were you saying something?"

Naru's "mother" struggled to regain her composure. "Oh, um… of course not, dear! I'm just really excited about this sale, that's all!"

"Uh… okay," Naru said, a little confused. "Oh, mom, you remember Usagi, right?"

"But of course! How could I forget?" She ran up to Usagi and took her hand, leading her over to the counter. "In fact, since you're Naru's best friend, I'll be sure to give you a special discount!"

Usagi's face lit up. "Really?! Oh boy, this day just can't get any better!" The girl joined the crowd of rioting women, while Naru stood back and giggled to herself. She wasn't used to seeing her mother act like this. But like she said, she was probably just excited about the sale.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a small black cat watched the scene from outside the store. However, its eyes appeared to be stuck on a certain blonde Bun-Head…

* * *

Usagi strolled happily up her front steps, now bearing a cute bracelet on her right wrist. "Oh my gosh, this is so beautiful! I totally owe Naru big time for this!" The girl walked through her front door, still admiring the bracelet, but her celebration was cut short when she bumped into her mother, who was glaring down at her like a certain teacher had earlier that day. "Uh… hey mom! How was your day?"

"Well, it was going just fine. That is, until I got an email from Ms. Sakurada about a certain test score." It was at this moment the Usagi knew she screwed up. "A THIRTY?! Are you kidding me, Usagi? It's bad enough that your tardy count is off the charts, but now your grades are literally dropping off the charts!"

"M-Mom, wait… I can, uh…" Usagi stuttered, trying to think of something to say.

"No excuses, young lady! This is the last straw! Get up to your room right now and don't come out for the rest of the night!" She stabbed a finger towards the stairs. Usagi didn't question this at all, as she slowly began sulking up to her room. "And I had better not come in there and find you reading manga instead of your textbooks!"

"Aw, but moooom!" Usagi began to whine.

"No buts! Room, NOW!" Mrs. Tsukino shouted at her daughter. Defeated, Usagi continued on her way upstairs, her eyes now swirling with unshed tears.

As she made her way down the upstairs hall towards her room, Shingo stuck his head out of his room and clicked his tongue at her. "You failed another test, didn't you?"

Usagi whirled around and glared at her obnoxious little brother. "I don't need this right now, Shingo!"

Shingo sighed and clicked his tongue again. "Man, I wish I didn't have a sister who's such a loser…" That was enough set Usagi off.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now, you little brat!" Usagi began winding up her leg, ready to lash out at Shingo. "SAILOR V KICK!" She swung her leg at the little twerp, but it was too late. Shingo closed his door just in time, causing Usagi to drive her foot into it instead. Pain shot up her leg like a thousand needles being stabbed into her. She began wailing and crying, complaining over and over how much it hurt. The whole household had to plug their ears to make sure they didn't lose their hearing.

* * *

Back at the jewelry store, Naru's mother stood in the middle of the room, grinning a malicious grin. "And now, I will use all the jewelry bought today to gather energy for our great ruler!"

She raised a hand to the sky, causing an orb of dark energy to manifest in her palm. At that moment, from all over the city, everyone who had bought something from the store that day began to feel weak. The had no idea of what was really happening to them. Their life was slowly being drained away, collected into the dark orb.

"Foolish humans and their greedy ways…" Naru's "mother" hissed under her breath.

"Mom?!"

The imposter turned around to see Naru standing behind her, a shocked and terrified look on her face. "What are you doing?"

"I have no time for distractions!" The imposter temporarily halted her activity and turned towards Naru. Her body began to bend and contort unnaturally. Her limbs grew to disgusting lengths and her hands stretched into sharp clawed pincers. Her outfit changed as well, changing into a black short-front long-back dress that resembled the thorax of a black widow spider. Finally, her mouth grew a pair of spider-like mandibles and six extra eyes appeared on her face.

Naru could only stare at the horrific sight before her. What was once her mother was now a humanoid spider creature, with a sticky white silk oozing from its mouth. "What are you? Where's my mom?"

"Your mother is in the basement, safely trussed up in my webs. And now, young Naru, prepare to join her!" The monster known as Arachnia lunged at Naru, causing the mortified girl to let out a scream of terror as it swung a clawed pincer at her.

* * *

Usagi was woken up with a jolt and she sat up in her bed. She had fallen asleep in her room soon after her scuffle with her mother and Shingo. But just as she had begun to drift off, a sharp pain crossed her arm, causing her to wake up suddenly.

"Ow! What the heck was that?" She looked down at the red mark on her arm, and quickly noticed the bracelet she had bought earlier that day was now sitting on her bed in pieces. "Oh no, my bracelet!" She began to reach for the remnants of the piece of jewelry, but a voice stopped her.

"Don't touch that!" it said firmly.

Usagi looked around, confused. "Who said that?" The answer came in the form of a silhouette perched on her windowsill. As she squinted to drown out the moonlight surrounding it, she saw that it was the black cat she had encountered that morning. Only now that it was closer, she noticed what appeared to be an upside-down crescent moon emblazoned on its forehead.

As soon as she realized what was happening, Usagi jumped out of her bed and threw herself against the wall as if she were being cornered by a predator. "Did… did you just talk?!"

"I did. Why, is that odd?" the cat asked casually.

Usagi stared wide eyed, half in amazement, half in fear. "Odd?! Cats don't talk! They can't talk!"

The cat sighed. " Well, I'm talking, aren't I?"

"This is… this is unreal… do you have name?" Usagi asked.

"Of course. My name is Luna. And you are Usagi Tsukino," the cat answered, smiling.

"You know my name?! But… how?" Before Luna could answer, Usagi noticed the broken bracelet on her bed. "Wait, did you do that to my bracelet?"

"Yes. Forgive me, but I had to. That bracelet was infused with an evil energy that would have-" Luna began before Usagi cut her off.

"I don't care what it was 'ensued' with! I got this from a one-time blowout sale! You'd better pay me back for this!" Usagi rambled on, becoming more and more whiny with each sentence she finished.

"I don't have any…" Luna began before stopping herself, an idea occurring in her head. "Actually, I can pay you back right now!" The black cat narrowed her eyes and the moon on her forehead began to glow. The resulting ray of light compressed a few feet in front of her, causing a shiny golden brooch to materialize in the air. The light subsided and the brooch dropped onto the bed, ruffling the sheets.

Usagi's eyes went wide with joy at the sight of the new piece of jewelry. "Oh my gosh! A brooch! It's so pretty!" She practically threw herself at the brooch and picked it up, running over to the mirror on her vanity table. She quickly attached the brooch to the bow and began admiring herself. "Thank you so much, Luna! I love it!" As she adjusted the brooch, it suddenly began to glow brightly, shining like a small star. "W-what? It's glowing?!"

Luna smiled. "Now listen to me, Usagi! Repeat these words as loud as you can: Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Usagi hesitated for a moment. "M-Moon…" Then, something in the recesses of her mind clicked, compelling her to say the words as loud as her tiny lungs would allow.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

A brilliant bright light exploded from the brooch and enveloped Usagi, lifting her slightly into the air. Beautiful streams of pink ribbons materialized out of the light and wrapped around Usagi's torso, arms, and legs, forming a sailor uniform, as well as a pair of gloves and boots. She did a cute little twirl in the air, causing a light blue skirt to fluff out of her waist. A bright pink bow poofed out of her chest, followed by a pair of earrings blinking onto her earlobes. Finally, an elegant golden tiara with a small red gem at the center of it formed on her forehead. Her transformation now complete, she unconsciously placed a hand on her hip and flashed a V-sign over her eyes. The young girl drifted back down to the ground, slowly taking in what had just occurred.

"I… I don't believe this! What happened to me?!" Usagi stammered.

Luna's smiled grew even wider, clearly proud of her work. "I knew it! You are the one I've been searching for, Usagi! You are the pretty soldier, Sailor Moon!"

"That doesn't answer my question! What happened to me? It felt like I was in there for five minutes!" Usagi squealed, confused.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "The transformation only took about three seconds…"

Usagi's eyes grew even wider. "Okay that doesn't make any-" Before she could finish, her brooch began flashing red. A panicked cry or help emitted from it as well. "That voice… that sounds like Naru!"

"She's in danger, Usagi! You have to go help her!" Luna said confidently.

"Me? What can I do? I'm just a little girl!" Usagi cried.

Luna stared sternly at the blonde girl. "Now that you are a Sailor Soldier, you possess powers beyond anything you thought possible! You can help your friend! Trust me."

* * *

Arachnia let out a demonic cackle as she wrapped Naru up in a thick, silky web prison. The red-headed girl struggled to get free, but she was trussed up to a point where she could scarcely move or speak. "Struggling is pointless, you pathetic human!" Arachnia spat. "Just relax and accept you fate! It will only hurt for a moment…"

Naru looked up at the abominable female creature. The thing laughed in her face as she was fighting for her life, as if it enjoyed seeing her squirm. This wasn't right, she didn't want to die tonight! There was so much more she wanted to do with her life. And now that she was on the brink of death, something at the back of her mind told her that she still had a purpose to fulfill…

"Stop right there!" a young, high-pitched shouted at the monster.

Arachnia twisted her head around to face the silhouette now standing in the doorway of the jewelry store. She squinted all eight of her eyes, making out the figure to be a petite blonde girl in a sailor suit with a pair of buns and pigtails in her hair. "Who the hell are you?!" she hissed.

"Me? I'm… um…" The girl struggled to find her words, but once again, a voice buried deep in her subconscious told her exactly what to say.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

For a brief moment, Arachnia stared at the blonde heroine in confusion, until she finally let out a noise that sounded halfway between a hiss and a click. "I don't have time for this! Minions! Come forth and kill this girl!"

From all around the store, women with glowing red eyes began popping up. Sailor Moon saw they were wearing expensive pieces of jewelry, likely what they had purchased from the sale this afternoon. She was suddenly really glad Luna destroyed her bracelet. She wasn't so glad, however, when the women began to collectively lunge at her, obviously with the intention to carry out Arachnia's orders. Sailor Moon dove to the floor, allowing the woman closest to her to glide past. She let out a sigh of relief, but tensed up again as she saw a huge crowd of possessed women charging at her. Sailor Moon screamed and began running all over the store, clumsily dodging any women that got too close. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough to dodge a tall, slender woman who reached out and clawed at her with long pink-painted fingernails. The nails caught Sailor Moon's arm and left four light but bloody scratches in their wake. The girl let out a scream, half surprised and half in pain. From a nearby windowsill, Luna sat and watched anxiously.

"What are you doing, Sailor Moon?" Luna called out. "You have to fight them!"

Sailor Moon looked at Luna with tears in her eyes. "I can't! I'm too scared!"

Luna rolled her eyes. This was not what she expected from who was supposed to be the legendary soldier she had been searching for for years. "Just throw a punch! If you don't fight back, they'll kill you!"

Sailor Moon stood still as a statue, trying to pull herself together. She knew what Luna said was true, but she didn't want to fight these women knowing they were simply innocent people under Arachnia's control. She was snapped back to reality when she saw the same tall woman who had clawed her moments ago rushing at her again. Acting on instinct, Sailor Moon lashed out with her left foot and drove it into the woman's stomach, knocking the wind out of her. The woman collapsed to the ground, unconscious from the blow. Sailor Moon couldn't believe what just happened. She had knocked out an adult with just one kick! The realization came to her that her transformation had made her a lot stronger than she was as an ordinary girl.

Luna smiled. "Good job! Now keep going! Here come the rest!"

Sailor Moon looked up to see the rest of the women charging at her, groaning like a horde of zombies. Even though Sailor Moon knew she could defend herself now, a sick feeling in her stomach washed over her. She couldn't hurt these people! Even if they were possessed and trying to kill her, she just didn't have the heart to inflict pain on anyone.

" I… I can't do this! I don't want to hurt anybody, it's wrong! Why do I have to do this? Why me?!" Sailor Moon wailed.

The girl's incessant whining quickly turned into crying; very loud crying. Luna rolled her eyes. Perhaps this wasn't the person she was looking for after all. Just then, as Sailor Moon's vocal cords reached their peak, the tiara on her forehead began to glow brightly. As the girl continued to bawl, ear-piercing sonic waves erupted from her tiara, shaking the entire building, shattering glass cases and windows, and paralyzing everyone in the room, including Naru and Arachnia. The sound was so strong that it caused Naru and all the possessed women to fall unconscious. As the noise subsided, Arachnia looked up, her ears ringing to the point of near deafness. She saw that her army of greedy humans was on the ground and Sailor Moon was still standing.

"Why you…" Arachnia growled. "I shall kill you myself if I must!"

The spider woman leapt out from behind the counter and sprinted towards Sailor Moon, silk drooling from her mouth and pincers bared, ready to tear the girl to pieces. Sailor Moon saw the monster approaching fast and tensed up, ready to start crying again. Luna saw what was happening and panicked. But after seeing how the tiara had reacted to the girl's crying she was more convinced than ever.

"Sailor Moon, you must act fast! Throw your tiara at her and shout 'Moon Tiara Boomerang!'" Luna ordered the blonde girl.

Sailor Moon snapped out of her crying state and did as she was told. She took the tiara off her forehead and held it out in front of her. It glowed for a moment before it transformed into a sharp circular disk. As Sailor Moon stared at the newly formed weapon in her palm, the unknown presence in her mind called out to her, instructing her exactly what to do.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The blonde heroine reared back and hurled the disc at Arachnia. The spider woman spat a stream of silk out of her mouth aimed at Sailor Moon, but the golden tiara cut straight through the strong fiber. Arachnia could only stare in horror as the disc got closer and closer, until it finally reached her, slicing into her neck and decapitating her on the spot. No sooner was her head separated from her body did she begin to turn grey and dissolve into ashes. Within second, she was nothing more than a pile of dust on the floor.

Sailor Moon stared in astonishment at the gruesome sight before her. It was like something out of a horror movie. But then, a more important thought occurred to her: it was over. In a flash, the tiara reappeared of her forehead. She reached up and touched it, wondering how it had gotten back up there. Then again, nothing else that happened tonight made any sense, so she decided to not question it. Luna hoped down from the windowsill and pranced over to Sailor Moon, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"I knew it! You are the one I've been looking for!" she beamed.

Sailor Moon looked down at the black cat and raised an eyebrow. "The one you've been looking for?"

Luna continued to ramble. "Yes! You are the reincarnation of an ancient warrior who lived on the moon! That girl was Sailor Moon, the pretty soldier of love and justice, leader of the Moon Princess' royal guard. Usagi, you're that girl!"

Sailor Moon couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was she really a reincarnated warrior from the moon? Was she an alien? As millions of questions pooled into her mind, she noticed her shadow being cast on the marble floor. She looked up to the highest window in the store to see the moon itself shining through the window. The girl stared up at it in awe. Amongst the flood of questions swimming through her brain, she found a funny feeling tickling the back of her conscience. She didn't know what it was, but the feeling weighed down on her like a mountain on her shoulders. Usagi knew in this moment, her life would be changed forever. She was a hero, just like Sailor V, just like all those manga she had read, and just like that girl she had been all those millennia ago.

Little did the young girl realize, but just outside the store, a tall, handsomely dressed man was watching her through the display window. He wore a dark tuxedo, a top hat, and red and black cape. However, his most eye-catching feature was a white masquerade mask that covered his eyes. He stared at the girl for another moment, before turning around and running off into the night, never to be seen by anyone.

~A Suivre~


	2. The Mysterious Tuxedo Mask

Hey everyone! Thanks to all of you who took the time to read my first chapter, and especially to those who favorited and followed the story. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Anyway, I didn't know I would be able to write the next chapter this fast, but here it is! (Just don't expect this to be my regular update time, my schedule is really inconsistent when it comes to free time for writing) Anyone I neglected to introduce in Chapter 1 is most likely included in his chapter, especially a certain tuxedo-wearing hero we all know and love. Enjoy! ;)

* * *

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Tuxedo Mask

"And then, just when I thought I was done for, Sailor Moon appeared out of nowhere and saved me!" It was the beginning of a new school day, and Naru was all too eager to share the thrilling story about how she been rescued from the grasp of Arachnia by Sailor Moon. Her friends listened intently, some in pure astonishment, others in serious doubt.

"Are you sure about that?" a girl with short brown hair questioned. "I mean, the part about the monster I can believe, it was all over the news this morning. But who's this Sailor Moon you keep mentioning? Are you sure it wasn't Sailor V?"

"I thought so too at first," Naru quickly answered. "But she clearly said that her name was Sailor Moon. Plus, Sailor V lives all the way in Osaka! You think she knew another monster would appear in Tokyo and somehow made it all the way here in one day?"

The short-haired girl scratched her head, deep in thought. "That is a good point…"

"I know… What do you think, Usagi?" Naru looked down to her blonde Bun-Headed BFF, who was currently passed out on her desk, a puddle of drool pouring out from her mouth as she snored away. Naru rolled her eyes. She must have stayed up too late reading manga again. Typical… "ALRIGHT CLASS, TIME TO BEGIN!" Naru raised her voice.

Immediately, Usagi sat up straight like an arrow, placing her elbows on her desk and opening her eyes as wide as an owl. "Yes, Ms. Sakurada!" Usagi was caught off guard by the sound of laughing behind her. She looked back to see a group of girls, including Naru, cracking up. Usagi narrowed her eyes in frustration. "Naruuuu! I was having the best dream ever!" she whined.

Naru placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I had to make sure you didn't get in trouble again. Mama Naru's got to look out for her baby girl!" she said cheerfully.

Usagi's head dropped back down to her desk. "I just had a really long night, that's all…"

"That's not good," a voice suddenly came from behind Usagi. The blonde girl looked back again, but immediately regretted it when she saw Mamoru Chiba standing there. "You need to be getting plenty of sleep, Bun-Head, otherwise you won't be able to focus in class."

"You again?!" Usagi squeaked angrily. "What are you doing here? Are you stalking me or something?" She stabbed an accusing finger at the tall boy, who simply chuckled and shook his head.

"Of course not. We have homeroom together," he said. "You would've known that if you showed up on time yesterday."

Usagi's eyes practically popped out of her head when she heard that. Homeroom? With HIM?! It had to be a mistake! Being around this guy for a few seconds was enough to drive her mad, but spending every morning with him? They might as well just strap a straightjacket on her and be done with it.

"Yeah, well so what? I still can't stand being around you! You're nothing but a big dumb meanie! Now go sit down before Ms. Sakurada gets here! I hear she gives tardies to anyone not in their seats when she walks in!" Usagi spat.

Mamoru simply held up his hands defensively and backed up. "Alright, whatever you say," he said nervously as he walked across the room to his seat. "By the way, Bun-Head, my tutoring offer is still on the table if you're interested!" he called back to her before sitting down.

Usagi practically popped a blood vessel when he said that. "Keep dreaming, weirdo!" Usagi sunk into her chair and crossed her arms, putting like a five-year-old. "Stupid jerk… who does he think he is, trying to be nice to me? He's got some nerve, right Naru?" Usagi looked up at her red-headed friend, who was busy staring across the room at Mamoru. "Um.. Naru?"

Naru didn't take her gaze off Mamoru. He eyes twinkled as she watched him take off his sunglasses and replace them with a pair of reading glasses. "He's so dreamy…"

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Oh boy…" It was bad enough that she had a class with this jerk, but now her best friend was infatuated with him. At this point, Usagi was beginning to regret not letting that monster kill her last night.

As Naru stared longingly at the handsome dark-haired boy, she got a funny feeling in the recesses of her mind. The guy was attractive, that was for sure, but this feeling caused her to be drawn to him for another reason, though what that reason was she couldn't figure out. While Naru pondered what the reason could be, her naive young teenage mind took hold and made her decision for her. This boy was her soulmate, and she was going to be his girlfriend sooner or later.

* * *

The end of the school day came, and as the bell rang and children charged out the front doors, eager to get away from the tortures of lectures and tests, Usagi straggled behind at the back of the crowd. She still hadn't recovered from the exhaustion that resulted from last night, and she knew that the walk home would be long and excruciating. As she slugged down the road home, dragging her backpack behind her like a sack of coal, a black cat suddenly leapt out of the bushes in front of her.

"Aaagghh! A black cat! That's eight years of bad luck!" Usagi cried, repeating the same thing she said yesterday.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Usagi, it's me, Luna." The cat looked a little hurt by Usagi's comment. "And I would prefer if you didn't acknowledge that stereotype. I find it very offensive."

Usagi quickly realized her mistake and fell to her knees, clasping her hands together. "Oh my gosh, I'm so so sorry, Luna! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings! You're not mad at me, are you?" Usagi pleaded, teardrops forming at the corners of her eyes.

Luna sighed. "Of course I'm not mad. Just please be aware of what you say," she said, her face quickly brightening up. "Now then, are you ready for your second night out?"

Usagi looked confused, but quickly figured out what Luna was saying and grew worried. "Wha… what do you mean, 'second night out?'"

"Well, now that you are a Sailor Soldier, it is your duty to look after the people of this city by fighting any other monsters that may appear," Luna stated, a little too casually.

However, Usagi already knew how she was going to respond. "No."

Luna was taken aback by this. She stayed silent for a moment, pondering the single word that had come from the girl's mouth. "No? What do you mean no?"

"I mean I'm not going to be Sailor Moon anymore. I won't go back out there and fight any monsters. I refuse," Usagi said sternly.

"B-but, you have to! It's your mission! Your destiny! This is the reason you were reincarnated!" Luna said, desperately trying to change the blonde's mind. If she truly meant what she said, it could mean that mankind and the world itself was doomed. The cat had been searching for this one girl for most of her life, but suddenly, with one word, it seemed like her entire life had led to nothing.

Usagi shook her head. "No, I won't do it! I'm not a soldier, I'm just a young girl who's going to graduate middle school in a few months. I have my whole life ahead of me, and I won't risk ruining that life over something I never even wanted to happen!" With that, the girl picked up her backpack and marched down the sidewalk. However, after only a few feet, she stopped and turned to look sadly at the dejected black cat. "I'm sorry Luna, I really am. But… I just can't do this…"

Luna watched as Usagi continued walking. She kept her eyes on the girl until she turned a corner a few blocks away. "This is bad…" she said to herself. "This is really bad…"

* * *

Luna found herself strolling through a deserted alleyway. Even though it was broad daylight, the narrow space made it impossible for any sun to reach the area, making it dark and eerie. Luna looked around to make sure no one was looking. She noticed a rat nearby munching on a piece of garbage and hissed at it, scaring it away into the shadows. Rats were such disgusting creatures. Now that she was sure she was alone, she closed her eyes and concentrated, causing the moon on her forehead to glow. A beam of light shot forth and created a sparkly sphere a few feet in front of her. Inside the sphere was the shadow of someone, though the image was too distorted to make out any features.

"Luna? Is that you?" the shadow asked, forebodingly.

"It's me, sir. I'm sorry for the short notice of this report, but we have a serious problem," Luna apologized. "The girl who became Sailor Moon last night has refused to fight anymore."

The shadow grumbled, clearly distraught by this news. "Did you try to convince her otherwise?"

"I did! I really tried!" Luna talked as if she were about to be punished. "What should we do, sir? If we don't convince her to fight somehow, the world is in trouble!"

"I'm aware! Calm down, Luna, we'll figure this out," the shadow reassured. Luna's breathing eased. She seemed to regain her composure. "I hate to resort to this, but it looks like we'll have to initiate Plan D."

Luna's eyes grew wide at the mention of this Plan D. "Are… are you sure? That seems a little extreme…"

"We have no other option! If Sailor Moon won't fight, then we'll make her fight," the shadow said firmly. It seemed as though his mind was made up. Luna's eyes drifted downwards. She looked unsure about this plan, but like the shadow said, it was their only option.

* * *

A final bolt of lightning flashed from the monster's mouth and struck the young blonde girl in a sailor suit, instantly disintegrating her into a smoldering pile of ashes. As the monster cackled victoriously, a pair of big red words appeared in the air above them: "GAME OVER."

"Aw man! Not again! This level is impossible!" Usagi whined relentlessly. "There goes half my weekly allowance…" The girl had gone straight from school to her favorite arcade, only to play her favorite game of all time: Sailor V! Even though she had played it countless times, her gameplay style never went much further than mindless button-mashing. However, another reason she went was because of her crush on the young man who worked at the arcade...

"Having trouble there, Usagi?" A warm, kind voice came from behind the blonde girl. She turned around to see a tall sandy-haired boy who looked to be in his early twenties. He smiled down at the girl and gestured towards the Sailor V game, still flashing the Game Over sign.

"Motoki, I swear this game is rigged!" Usagi complained. "I do so good up until this point, but I can never get past the electricity-spitting alien-robot-monster-Godzilla thing!" The monster on the screen let out another demonic cackle. Usagi's forehead popped a vein and her eyes turned pure white. "And then it keeps doing this stupid laugh after I lose! It's like the game is mocking me!"

Motoki simply chuckled to himself. "Easy there, Usa. It's not like the game is self-aware or anything. You probably just need to keep practicing." He leaned down to Usagi and whispered in her ear. "In fact, I know a passcode you can use to skip the beginning of the game and come right to this spot until you beat it…"

Usagi's eyes sparkled as she twirled around and threw her arms around the tall boy. "Oh Motoki! You're the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" the young girl chirped.

Motoki smiled nervously and hugged her back. "Heheh… I didn't know the game meant this much to you."

From across the arcade, a television mounted on the wall was airing the afternoon news, when suddenly a tab that said "Breaking News" appeared on the bottom.

"Breaking News!" the female newscaster announced, drawing both Usagi and Motoki's attention. "We have just received word that moments ago, the body of the superheroine Sailor V was found in an alleyway by a passing homeless man. The young girl appears to have died due to the serious injuries she received battling the monster that attacked Osaka two nights ago. While the body is currently still being identified, citizens are already beginning to question whether or not they will be safe at night now that their hero is gone."

Usagi couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sailor V was dead? It couldn't be true! Sailor V was her hero! She was supposed to be unstoppable! How could she be dead? This wasn't right! This was all wrong!

Motoki reached down and patted Usagi's head. "Usa, are you…"

Usagi suddenly reached up and pushed his hand away. She then dropped to her knees and reached her hands to the sky, as if trying to bring down Heaven itself. "NOOOOOOOOOO! SAILOR V, YOU WERE MY HERO! WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" the blonde girl wailed as Motoki looked on, taken aback by her display of drama.

* * *

Kunzite entered Queen Metalia's chamber and took a knee. "My Queen, I have something most interesting to report."

"Oh? Do tell," the dark mass whispered softly.

"Just an hour ago, Sailor V was found dead. It appears the wounds that Reptilicus inflicted on her were… too much for her body to handle," Kunzite said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

The Queen was silent for a moment, but she suddenly began chuckling lightly, before erupting into a malicious howling laughter. "Excellent! This is a marvelous development! Now we have one less enemy to deal with…"

"But my Queen," Kunzite interjected. "What about that Sailor Moon girl? How shall we deal with her?"

Queen Metalia ceased her laughing, causing Kunzite to freeze. He looked as if her regretted what he just said. "I believe I made it clear that our primary goal is gathering human energy. We will not waste time on that weakling Sailor Moon! From what I observed, the main reason she defeated Arachnia was her ability to create sonic waves. The obvious solution to this is a monster who will be immune to such an attack," the Queen hissed at Kunzite.

"Of… of course, your majesty! That would be the most logical strategy…" Kunzite stroked his chin for a moment, deep in thought. "I believe I have just the monster for the job!" he said eagerly.

"Well then, waste no more time. Send forth this monster immediately!" Queen Metalia ordered. Kunzite stood up and placed a hand over his chest before beginning to walk backwards out of the room. "And Kunzite?" He stopped and focused on the glass sphere. "Do not fail this time… or there will be consequences…"

Kunzite said nothing, settling for a simple nod. He finished backing out of the room and closed the door behind him. He drew in a deep breath, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"A threat from the Queen? You had better get your act together!"

Kunzite narrowed his eyes, recognizing the sly, arrogant tone of voice. He turned around to see none other than Jadeite standing across the hall. "No tricks this time, Jadeite? It seems you are the one who needs to get his act together," Kunzite said mockingly.

"Are you two squabbling again? Honestly, you boys are so immature sometimes!" a flamboyant voice chastised from down the hall. Kunzite and Jadeite looked over to see short, slender man with long blonde hair done up in a ponytail clicking his tongue at them.

"Zoisite. Where's Nephrite?" Kunzite asked.

Zoisite smiled and flipped his hair back. "Oh, he's just off dolling himself up in his barracks. The two of us are hoping to catch the Northern Lights tonight." The feminine man suddenly narrowed his eyes. "You're not suggesting I can't be without him for a moment, are you?"

Upon hearing this, a devilish grin spread across Jadeite's face. "He's not, but I am," the blonde man sneered. "I believe you would go insane if you went so much as an hour without clinging to his arm!"

Zoisite glared at Jadeite with passionate eyes. "How dare you! I am more than capable of handling myself!"

Jadeite simply laughed out loud. "Don't make me laugh! If you so much as see a mouse crawling around you run into your beloved Nephrite's arms and cry like a woman! You are such a pathetic man."

Suddenly, a strong hand clamped down on Jadeite's hair and yanked him around, bringing him face-to-face with a tall, muscular man with long, red-brown hair. Jadeite's expression suddenly dropped. He was clearly afraid of this man. "Now Jadeite, surely you aren't mouthing off to my dear Zoisite again, are you?"

Zoisite smiled briefly, but quickly put on a fake sad face. "Oh, but he is, Nephrite! He called me weak and pathetic! Oh, it hurt my feelings so bad!" Zoisite cried.

Nephrite's eyes narrowed and his forehead popped a vein. He held up his hand, producing a black rose in his grasp. He held the thorny stem up to Jadeite's face. "I should slit your throat for saying such things!" He swiped the thorns across Jadeite's cheek, drawing a slight drop of blood. Jadeite flinched in pain.

Seeing this, Kunzite quickly strode up to Nephrite and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nephrite! Enough," he said firmly. Nephrite looked back at him and scowled, but released Jadeite as he was told. He then walked over to Zoisite and held out his arm.

"Apologies, my dear," Nephrite said softly. "What's say we get away from this duo of hooligans?"

"Indeed!" Zoisite chirped as the two began walking away. "True beauty awaits us in the sky!"

"Oh Zoisite, not even a miracle of nature like the Northern Lights could be compared to your beauty," the tall brunette complimented.

Kunzite watched he pair of lovers go, before crouching down and helping Jadeite to his feet. "Are you okay?"

Jadeite narrowed his eyes for a moment, before letting cheerful smile cross his face. "It takes more than a flimsy rose to hurt me!" He tensed the muscles on his face, sucking the blood seeping out of the cut on his face back under his skin.

Kunzite shook his head. "Your arrogance is going to get you killed one day, little brother." With that, the silver-haired man turned around and walked down the hall towards his monster's barracks.

"I think I'll be quite alright…" Jadeite mumbled before slithering off in the other direction.

* * *

Usagi and Naru dragged their feet as they walked down the road, their backs slumped over and tears streaming down their cheeks.

"This can't be happening…" Usagi whined. "Sailor V Can't be dead!"

"I know, girlfriend," the redhead responded sadly. "But we have to try and move past this."

Usagi looked at her best friend, her eyes practically filled to the brim with tears. "I don't think I'll ever be able to move past this! Who's gonna be my hero now?"

Naru placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Hey, the important thing is she went out fighting," she said with a half hearted smile. However, the smile quickly faded as she began crying again. "Even if she still died!"

The two girls hugged each other and let out a collective "WAAAAAHHHH!" before being interrupted by a loud voice.

"Manga sale! Special Sailor V Manga sale!" the voice announced. "Commemorate the loss of the beloved Sailor V by partaking in this one day Sailor V Manga sale! All issues are ninety percent off today and today only!"

Naru and Usagi looked across the street to see a man holding up a large arrow sign, pointing to a manga store on the corner. The display windows showed a huge Sailor V poster with a big red "90% OFF" tag slapped on it. The two girls' eyes lit up instantly.

"Oh my gosh! Ninety percent off?! That's practically free!" Usagi cheered.

Naru took Usagi's hand in her own. "What do you say, girl? Let's pay our respects to Sailor V by buying every issue in that store!"

The two girls cheered as they dashed across the street. They cut off several cars in the process, causing the angry drivers to honk and shake their fists at them, but the girls were too overjoyed by the sale. They practically knocked the advertisement man over as they barged into the store.

"Take your time picking an issue, girls! Remember this is offer only lasts today!" the advertisement man encouraged. However, once the two girls were out of range of his voice, the man bared his teeth in an evil grin and chuckled. "And as you'll soon find out, your lives will only last today as well…" the man snickered.

* * *

Usagi flopped down on her bed, bringing the huge pile of Sailor V manga with her. The Bun-Headed girl had spent the entire afternoon scouring the shelves of that store for every issue of Sailor V she didn't own, and thanks to the sale she was able to afford all of them. Of course, it cost her the other half of her weekly allowance…

"Where should I start? I have to read them all tonight!" Usagi quickly shook her head at this thought. "No, Sailor V is gone. I have to honor her properly by dragging out this binge as long as I can," she told herself proudly. "I'll only read one issue tonight."

Usagi searched through the stack of manga before settling on one of her favorite issues: Sailor V #91: The Revenge of Masquerade Man! Usagi rolled onto her stomach and flipped open the book to the first page. The story picked up right where it had left off; the evil Masquerade Man, a tall, devilish man in a tuxedo and a masquerade mask, had returned from out of nowhere, seemingly haven risen from the grave. He planned to get revenge on Sailor V for beating him the first time by killing the man she was in love with! Oh boy, this was gonna be intense! As Usagi turned the page, the battle with Masquerade Man began, with Sailor V jumping into the air and lashing out with her signature Sailor V Kick! However, Masquerade Man simply stood there and absorbed the blow! How was that possible? The kick was Sailor V's strongest technique, and the villain just took it like it was nothing! Is it possible he had gotten stronger since they last met?

Normally, all this intense action would have Usagi walking all over her room as she read her manga, but the young girl found herself feeling strangely exhausted. In fact, she was so tired she couldn't even move! What was going on? It wasn't that late, so why was she so tired? Her vision began to darken around the edges and her eyelids began fluttering as it felt like her strength was literally being sucked out of her. Just as she was about to pass out, Usagi heard a loud shredding noise, and she was suddenly jolted awake, her strength seeming to have returned. Usagi looked in front of her to see Luna standing there, along with her Sailor V manga, which was now nothing but a pile of torn ribbons of paper.

"Luna!" Usagi cried. "What's with you and destroying my stuff? I got this from a one-time sale! And I haven't even read this issue yet!"

Luna simply stared back at her with a serious look. "Maybe if you didn't keep buying evil objects, I wouldn't have to keep destroying them! Look!" Luna gestured with her paw towards the pile of Sailor V manga, which was now glowing with a dark aura. Suddenly, a dark tendril shot forth from the aura and shrouded Usagi, causing her to feel tired again. Luna panicked. "Quickly! Throw them out the window!"

Even though Usagi's mind told her not to waste such a precious collection of unread manga, Usagi took the stack of books in her arms and tossed them all out the window. Once again, the dark aura disappeared and Usagi's strength returned.

"What was that? It felt like my life was being drained away…" Usagi said nervously.

"That's because it was," Luna answered. "The man who sold you those manga was an agent of the Dark Kingdom in disguise. Usagi, you have to go and fight him!"

Usagi crossed her arms and turned away from the black cat. "I told you I won't do it! It's too scary for me and I have too much to live for! I haven't even had a boyfriend yet!"

Luna took a step towards the blonde girl, looking directly at her with pleading eyes. "Usagi, you have to! Everyone who bought those manga today are currently having their life sucked out of them, including Naru!" Usagi's eyes went wide at this revelation. "Sailor V is dead now," the cat continued. "You're the only hope this city and its people have now! If you don't transform and go out there, everyone in this entire world is doomed! I know it's a heavy burden to bear, and I understand that you're scared, but just think: what would Sailor V have done?"

Usagi lowered her head, tears brimming on her eyes. If Naru really was in danger, then she had to fight! But still… "I… I'm not Sailor V…"

Luna sighed. "You're right, you're not. But you are Sailor Moon! You possess powers that make you stronger than anyone else. You're not some helpless little girl anymore! If you put your mind to it, you can win!" Usagi lowered her head even further, and tears began streaking down her cheeks. "Usagi, please, I'm begging you!"

The young girl whimpered, feeling the weight of the situation falling on her like a ton of bricks. She was scared, more scared than she had ever been. But if she really was the world's only hope, what choice did she have? "Alright," she said suddenly, wiping the tears from her eyes and standing up. "I'll do it!"

Luna smiled and nodded, taking a step back as Usagi jumped to her feet and raised her right hand to the sky.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

The advertising man stood behind the counter of the manga store, one hand held high in the air. A sphere of dark energy hovered above his palm, growing larger by the second. "Yes…" he hissed. "Just a little more energy should be enough to satisfy our great ruler…"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The man looked over to where the voice came from to find a young girl in a pink, white and blue sailor suit standing in the entrance to the store. The girl had her hands on her hips and an angry expression on her face.

"Who dares to interrupt my collection of human energy?" the man demanded to know.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

The man watched as the girl struck a pose, completing her grand entrance. However, the sight of the pose simply made the man laugh. "Is that supposed to scare me? I don't think you realize who I really am!" He leapt out from behind the counter and stood parallel to Sailor Moon. His flesh seemed to begin to melt, or at least turn into some kind of liquid. His skin also changed color, going from a lively pale to a deathly pure shade of black. His casual t-shirt and shorts morphed into a sharp pair of dress pants, a shirt, a tie, and a jacket (all black, naturally). Finally. The man's face twisted and contorted, slowly turning into a disgusting mesh of a human and some kind of amphibian. "My name is Inkling, soldier of the Dark Kingdom and loyal servant to Queen Metalia!" the slimy creature announced. He held out his hand and produced a large fountain pen. "But I am also an accomplished artist."

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes. "I don't care what you are! Taking advantage of the emotions of people mourning the death of a hero is unforgivable! Now you'll suffer the most dire of consequences!" she said angrily, thrusting her pointer finger at the monster.

Inkling simply grinned at the girl, finding her attempts to intimidate him quite adorable. "I would love to see you try!" He grasped the fountain pen in his hand and threw it like a spear at Sailor Moon. The girl ducked out of the way just in time, and when she looked up she saw the sharp tip of the pen embedded in the door frame. She gulped at the thought of what could've happened if she hadn't dodged.

From behind her, Luna watched nervously. "Sailor Moon, use your sonic attack to stun him!" the cat instructed, quickly placing her paws over her ears.

"Good thinking, Luna!" Sailor Moon took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she possibly could. Her tiara began to glow, and like before, giant sonic waves erupted from it, colliding with Inkling and throwing him off balance. Sailor Moon carried out the attack as long as she could, until her lungs desperately cried out for air and she was forced to halt her screeching onslaught. As the heroine gasped for breath, she looked up at Inkling, but was shocked to see the monster laughing. "But.. but I thought that attack was supposed to stun you!"

Inkling continued to laugh. "Foolish girl! I'm made of ink! I don't have any eardrums," the slippery villain said, tapping the side of his head. "But I do possess a consciousness, and right now, my mind is fixated on your demise!" Inkling raised both of his fists, causing six more razor-sharp fountain pens to appear between his knuckles. He hurled the deadly weapons at Sailor Moon, causing the girl to shriek in horror and dash out of the way, just barely avoiding the projectiles. As the blonde heroine ran clumsily around the store, Inkling reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a jar of ink. "Oh no you don't!" He threw the jar at the floor in front of Sailor Moon, shattering it and splashing a thick pool of black ink around her feet. Sailor Moon began to slip and slide around like a cartoon character before finally falling flat on her butt.

"Owowow! That hurt!" the girl whined.

Inkling saw his chance and whipped out another pen. "Farewell, Sailor Moon!" He drew back his arm and took aim at the girl's head. Sailor Moon gasped in horror as she saw what was coming. She tried desperately to get back up, but the slippery ink kept her from going anywhere. Inkling let out a triumphant demonic hiss as he threw the pen at Sailor Moon with all his might. The girl let out a terrified scream, bracing for what was to come…

From out of nowhere, a shadow was cast over the helpless girl, and she heard a loud plinking sound above her. Upon realizing that she wasn't dead, Sailor Moon slowly opened her eyes and looked up, amazed at what she saw. A dashingly handsome man adorned in a tuxedo, a top hat, a cape, and a white masquerade mask was standing protectively in front of her. In his hand was a long, black cane, and as she looked down again, she noticed the pen that Inkling had thrown was now stuck in the carpeted floor. She looked back up to the man, her eyes sparkling with amazement. Who was this man? And where did he come from?

As if Inkling was reading her mind, the monster growled at the unwelcome intruder. "Who are you?" he demanded furiously.

The man stood up straight and stared at the slimy villain. "My name is Tuxedo Mask, and that is all you're going to know about me. I've come here to save Sailor Moon and stop your evil deeds."

Sailor Moon was transfixed by this Tuxedo Mask. He was so brave, and he had saved her from certain death! Within seconds, bright pink hearts appeared in the young girl's eyes. She was in love.

Tuxedo Mask turned around and looked down at Sailor Moon, extending his hand to her. Sailor Moon snapped back to reality and she more than willingly took the man's hand. As he helped her to her feet, she slipped a few more times on the puddle of ink, but Tuxedo Mask quickly grabbed the girl's shoulders, helping her balance herself. "Are you alright Sailor Moon?" he asked.

Sailor Moon gazed longingly into the man's eyes. They were a deep color, almost black. They were so beautiful and hypnotic. As the girl realized she was probably worrying the man, she regained her composure and smiled up at him. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for saving me," she said quietly.

"You can thank me once we've finished this freak," Tuxedo Mask said stoically. He whirled around to face Inkling once again, only this time the monster was gritting his teeth and snarling like a wild animal.

"So you knocked away one of my pens, so what? You really think you can defeat me, pathetic human?!" Inkling produced another fountain pen, this time holding it like a dagger, and charged at Tuxedo Mask. The caped man gripped his cane and ran to meet the monster head-on. The two clashed their respective weapons, Inkling trying to get close enough to gore the man with his pen, and Tuxedo Mask trying to push back his opponent's assault. Finally, Tuxedo Mask brought his fist up and smashed it directly into Inkling's jaw, splattering ink, or what might have been the creature's blood, all over one of the manga racks. His white glove became stained with black ink, but he managed to stun the monster with the blow. The handsomely dressed hero quickly maneuvered himself behind Inkling and put him in a headlock, pulling him in line with Sailor Moon.

"Sailor Moon, do it now! Destroy him with your tiara!" the man shouted.

Sailor Moon nodded and reached up and took off her tiara, the jewelry quickly transforming into the sharp golden disk. As the girl was about to throw her weapon, she noticed that Tuxedo Mask was standing right behind Inkling as he held him. "Wait! What about you? If you're standing behind him when I throw it, the tiara will kill you too!"

"Just trust me! I'll be alright!" Tuxedo Mask said as he struggled to hold onto Inkling, who had recovered from the man's punch and was now putting up a tough resistance.

Sailor Moon had no choice. She closed her eyes and reared back her arm.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The brilliant golden disc flew across the store, directly towards Inkling and Tuxedo Mask. Just as the weapon was about to make contact, Tuxedo Mask pushed his captive forward and jumped out of the way. Inkling let out a cry of agony as the disc sliced through his torso, gruesomely splashing ink all over the store. However, the sticky liquid, along with the creature it came from, began to stiffen and turn grey. In just a few seconds, the monster became a pile of dust on the ground.

Sailor Moon gasped and fell to her knees, the stress of the situation clearly having taken a toll on the petite girl. Luna bounded over to her, looking like a concerned mother. "Sailor Moon! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

The girl was panting heavily, but managed to get a few words out. "No… I'm fine… Luna…" Suddenly, a loud whooshing sound erupted from outside. As if acting on instinct, Usagi jumped to her feet and ran outside. "Usagi!" Luna called out, but the girl ignored her.

Sailor Moon stepped outside and looked around, as if trying to find something. "Sailor Moon!" a voice said loudly. The girl looked up to find where it came from, only to see none other than Tuxedo Mask standing heroically on the edge of a building, his cape billowing and whipping around in the cool night air. "You fought bravely tonight. I hope that one day we will meet again so that we may continue to fight evil together." The well-dressed man turned his back to the blonde heroine and began leaping across the rooftops before disappearing into the night.

As Sailor Moon watched the man leave, the bright pink hearts returned to her eyes and she squealed like a crazed fan girl. "He's so handsome!" she cried. "You're my new hero, Tuxedo Mask!"

Luna had followed Sailor Moon outside and had watched Tuxedo Mask leave. Even as she rolled her eyes at Usagi's teenage infatuation, two questions crossed her mind: Who was this Tuxedo Mask? And was he friend or foe?

* * *

"Please, forgive me, Queen Metalia! I had no idea that this Tuxedo Mask character would interfere! I beg of you, spare me your wrath!" Kunzite was on his hands and knees in front of Queen Metalia's glass sphere, begging to be spared the consequences she had promised him.

Queen Metalia sighed. "Fear not, Kunzite. You have not incurred my wrath this time. I was surprised by this man's appearance as well. It appears that while one of our enemies has died, two more have taken her place. Let us hope that Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are the only ones we will have to deal with. If more of these pests arise, we may begin to have complications…"

* * *

The school bell rang once again, announcing the beginning of a new day. Usagi slumped into her desk, dreading the thought of whatever assignment would be forced onto her today. "Man, I'm so tired… if I'm gonna keep doing this Sailor Moon thing, I'm gonna have to start taking naps after school…"

As the rest of the class walked into the room, Ms. Sakurada entered with a small girl in tow. She had short, blue hair and had a warm, welcoming smile on her face.

"Class, I have someone I'd like you to meet," Ms. Sakurada announced, gesturing to the blue-haired girl. "This is your new classmate, Ami Mizuno."

The girl turned to her new classmates and bowed. "Hello. It's nice to meet you all."

~A Suivre~


	3. Mercury, Soldier of Wisdom

Here's chapter 3! I was considering writing another filler episode, but screw it, I just really want to introduce the other Sailor Soldiers. After all, they're what makes the franchise what it is, right? Anyway, my introduction to Mercury will probably be the most similar to the original source material. I have other plans in mind for the rest of the soldiers' introductions. Also, I tried to incorporate a bit more comedy into this chapter, which I felt was seriously lacking in the first two chapters. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: Mercury, Soldier of Wisdom

"I don't know exactly what happened, but it just felt like my life was being sucked out of me!" Naru was recounting the previous night to her friends once again. "My vision went dark, it got hard to breathe, and it just felt like my body was going numb."

"You seem to have knack for almost dying recently, Naru," a nearby girl with curly black hair said jokingly.

Naru frowned at the girl. "It's not funny! It was really scary!" she said frustrated. "I'm telling you guys, it had to have been the work of those monsters again. Those bastards… I had to throw out all the manga I bought yesterday just to be safe!"

"That has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. How would the monsters be sucking out your life using manga?" a girl with sandy blonde hair asked, clearly skeptical of what Naru was insisting.

"Maybe it was magic!" a voice came suddenly. The girls all looked over to see Usagi staring at them with wide eyes. However, now that she was the center of attention, the bun-headed girl sank back into her seat. "You know… like dark, evil magic…"

The black-haired girl raised an eyebrow. "Magic? How can you jump to that conclusion so quickly, Usagi?"

Usagi searched her mind for a good response. "It's… it's just the most logical explanation!"

"That's far from the most logical explanation," another voice interjected. All the girls, including Usagi, turned around to be greeted by a short girl with blue hair and glasses. She held a book in her hands, seemingly having taken a break from reading when she overheard their conversation. "There's no such thing as magic, let alone dark magic."

Naru stared questioningly at the rather nerdy looking girl. "Then how would you explain what happened to me last night?"

The girl shut her book and adjusts her glasses, turning to the group of girls as if she were a teacher about to give a lecture. "You said this all happened after you found out Sailor V was dead, right? It's likely that the manga you were reading triggered stressful thoughts in your mind knowing that your favorite superheroine was dead. Common symptoms of stress are headaches, weakness, fatigue. Having your 'life drained out of you' was likely a result of said fatigue."

All the girls just stared at the blue-haired girl in awe. They looked at each other, then to Naru, then back to the girl.

"That… actually makes a lot of sense," the black-haired girl said.

"Yeah, that was brilliant!" the sandy blonde said cheerfully. "Hey, you're the new student, right? What's your name again?"

"My name is Ami Mizuno. It's a pleasure to meet you all," she responded before opening her book. Again and tuning away from the group. "Now, if you would be so kind, please tone down your conversation. I need to finish reading this chapter by today."

The sandy blonde's smile faded at this remark. "Well, you could at least be less rude about it, Miss Know-It-All," she sneered.

As the others went back to their conversation, Usagi kept her eyes on Ami. She felt strangely drawn to the girl for some reason.

* * *

Kunzite stood before the glass sphere containing Queen Metalia's essence before taking a knee. "Queen Metalia, I am pleased inform you that I have a new plan for gathering human energy."

"I sincerely hope it is a plausible plan. Your past few attempts have been rather contrived if I do say so myself," Metalia said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Kunzite looked a little hurt by this comment, but went on anyway. "I have noticed that one of mankind's greatest values is intelligence. Children and adolescents all over the world are constantly receiving mental training to strengthen said intelligence, and I believe this is something we can exploit."

The dark mass inside the glass ball froze, as if the Queen was now focused intently on Kunzite. "This sounds promising…"

"My monster Brainiac has the ability to tap into the minds of others. I can send her to infiltrate one of the human's learning facilities and gather energy from their evolving minds," Kunzite explained confidently.

Queen Metalia's mass began moving again. Demonic whispers could be heard from inside the sphere, as if she were processing what Kunzite had said. After several seconds, the dark mass froze in place once again. "This plan seems to be your most well-thought out in some time. I'm intrigued to see whether it will come to succeed," the Queen said.

Kunzite smiled at the compliment and stood up eagerly. "There's more. From what I've gathered from the previous battles, while Sailor Moon possesses great power, she has a significant lack of mental prowess. Logically, this would mean that she would not attend one of these learning facilities, and therefore she would be unable to interfere!"

"What about Tuxedo Mask?" Metalia asked suddenly, as if unconvinced by Kunzite's last statement. However, it appeared that the silver-haired man had a response ready.

"He is a skilled fighter, but it was only through Sailor Moon's help that he was able to share her victory over Inkling. Even if he does appear, he will be no match for Brainiac on his own," he said, sounding as if his confidence was about to explode.

Queen Metalia simply sighed in response. "I am trusting on this, Kunzite. Unless another unexpected inconvenience occurs, you will suffer my wrath if you fail this time. I will not tolerate any more failures from you."

Kunzite placed a hand over his chest, his confidence not waning despite the threat from Metalia. "I promise you that will not happen, my Queen! Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask will be all too late by the time my work is finished this time."

"Very well. Then be on your way, and be sure to inform Brainiac that this will be her one and only chance as well," Metalia said firmly.

"Of course, your majesty," Kunzite said before backing out of the room. As he closed the doors, he could already feel the familiar presence lurking in the shadows behind him, although at this point he wasn't't too surprised by it anymore. "Don't you have anything better to do than sneak up on me every second I'm alone?"

Jadeite stepped out of the shadows, chuckling lightly. "Oh don't be silly, Kunzite! I do plenty to help out around here."

Kunzite turned around, and eyebrow already raised. "Is that so? I don't seem to recall you having contributed a plan to the Queen's conquest for nearly two years!"

"That may be, but I suppose contributing nothing at all is better than contributing nothing but failures!" Jadeite said, mockingly. The insult clearly rubbed Kunzite the wrong way, as the tall man balled his fist and raised it some, as if tempted to lay a beat down on his little brother.

"You really piss me off, you know that?" Kunzite growled.

Jadeite simply laughed at this. "Oh please, if all these millennia have taught me anything, it is that no matter how angry you get you will never have the heart to inflict pain on me. Even the Queen knows you're too soft to hurt your own flesh and blood," he said, as if egging Kunzite on to hit him. However, the man gave no response. Instead, he simply unclenched his fist and quickly turned around, walking down the hall towards the monsters' barracks. Jadeite waited until his brother had walked some distance before giggling under his breath. "Foolish brother, you have no idea what I'm planning," he whispered deviously. "Be thankful it is not you I intend to extend my wrath to…"

* * *

Another school day had come to an end. Ami gathered her numerous books and binders and neatly packed up her backpack. She heard several students complaining about how difficult the homework was going to be, making her thankful that she got it all done during lunch period. As she made her way down the halls, her ears caught several whispering conversations about her, which were clearly not as subtle as they thought. "There goes that new girl." "She's so weird." "Yeah, all she does is study." "I bet she doesn't have any friends." "Who'd wanna be friends with someone so boring anyway?" Normally these comments would be hurtful to anybody, but Ami had gotten used to them. She had kept to herself since she was very little, and while not having friends did bother her from time to time, the knowledge that she was focusing on her studies and building a strong future for herself kept her at ease.

Ami made her way down the school's steps and towards the front gates. Just as she approached them, she thought she heard a pair of footsteps swiftly approaching behind her. "Hey Ami, wait up!" a joyful young voice called out. Ami kept walking but turned her head to see who was coming. She recognized the girl from this morning, the one with blonde hair done up in a pair of buns. While the girl hadn't said much in the time she knew her, Ami could tell she was one of those overly-energetic happy-go-lucky people. Not really her type…

The blonde girl caught up to her, panting heavily. "You… you are Ami… right?" The blue-haired girl simply nodded, causing Usagi to smile. "I thought I had the wrong girl! Then again I don't know many people with blue hair."

"Can I help you with something?" Ami asked politely.

Usagi shook her head and kept smiling. "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering, do you really not believe in magic?"

Ami looked at the Bun-headed blonde curiously. Was she serious right now? "Of course not. Magic isn't real. Everything people call magic can easily be explained through science and logic."

"Oh really?" Usagi pouted. "Then how do you explain the magic of rainbows?"

Ami giggled lightly. "The sun's ultraviolet rays reflecting off of moisture in the air causes the rays to distribute into the seven colors of the rainbow that make up white light."

Fake tears drifted down from Usagi's eyes as her lip quivered cartoonishly. "I think I just died a little on the inside…"

"Is that all you wanted to say?" Ami asked suddenly, catching Usagi off guard.

"No, no, that's not it!" she quickly responded, as if afraid the nerdy girl was about to walk away from her. "I also thought that you were really pretty and smart and… maybe you'd like to be friends with me?" Usagi said with puppy dog eyes.

Ami was shocked by the girl's words. Nobody had said anything like that to her in years. Nobody wanted to be her friend because they thought she was too boring. Nobody called her smart because everyone was always jealous of her grades. And no girl ever called her pretty because… because…

"Ami? Ami, are you okay?" Ami had apparently spaced out because the next thing she knew, Usagi was waving a hand in front of her face and saying her name repeatedly. "Did I say something-"

"Yes!" Ami said, almost loudly. Usagi backed up a little, slightly scared by the girl's sudden answer. "I mean… yes, I would like to be friends…"

Instantly, Usagi reached down and grabbed both of Ami's hands in her own. Ami felt her cheeks turn hot at the contact. "Let's go to the arcade!" Usagi said eagerly.

Ami was confused. "Wait, what?"

Usagi's smile grew even wider. "Duh! We're friends now, and friends hang out together. And what better place to start than my favorite place of all time: the arcade!"

Ami smiled nervously. She didn't think her first friendship in years would move this quickly, but she didn't want to turn down the girl, especially with how eager she seemed. Plus, she was rather pretty herself…

Usagi's plan had worked like a charm! She knew no one could resist her puppy dog eyes! "Now with any luck, I'll become best friends with this girl, and she'll let me copy all of her homework and test answers! I'm a genius!" Usagi said under her breath.

"Did you say something?"

Usagi snapped up, hoping Ami hadn't heard her. "Uh, nothing! Just so happy we're friends now! C'mon, let's go get some high scores!"

* * *

"How the heck did I get NEGATIVE POINTS?!" Usagi yelled as she pounded her fists on the Sailor V game. "This game is rigged! Rigged I say!"

Ami couldn't help but laugh. Usagi had spent nearly a half hour trying to beat one level, she had wasted all of her spare change, and like she had made clear, she somehow managed to get a negative score. Ami didn't even know that was possible, and clearly neither did Usagi. "Do you mind if I have a turn now, Usagi?"

The blonde girl looked up at Ami. She had almost forgotten the girl was here! This game had serious power over her. "Sure! I'll warn you though, it's rigged beyond belief."

Ami sat down and delicately placed her hands on the controls. "I'll just have to be careful then…" She pressed start.

Moments later, Usagi's jaw was on the ground and her eyes were nearly out of their sockets. Ami had gotten the highest score on the leaderboard, after beating LEVEL ONE. She didn't know whether to love or hate this girl now, but she settled on love as to not ruin her chance at free homework. Usagi heard other voices behind her, and she became aware that dozens of other people had gathered around Ami to watch her play.

Ami was overwhelmed. The game wasn't that difficult, so why did the people seem so impressed? She wasn't used to this kind of attention, especially from strangers. Thankfully, a familiar voice brought her senses back.

"That was amazing, Ami!" Usagi cheered, taking the girls hands in her own again. "You have to teach me your strategies sometime! You're incredible!"

Ami felt something unusual in her mind. Was she feeling… flattered? She could feel her cheeks turn red again at Usagi's touch. Her hands were so warm and soft and delicate, like the touch of an angel… "Um… thank you…" she said shyly.

The two girls looked down as they heard a light clinking noise. They saw that a blue pen had dropped out of a small slot below the game's control panel.

"Wait, I didn't know this game gives out prizes!" Usagi whined. "I've been playing this game for years, so how come I've never gotten one?!"

Ami picked up the pen. It was unlike any pen she'd ever seen, but definitely looked like an arcade prize. It was light blue, with a shiny gold cap that had a strange ring on top of it. She wasn't sure, but Ami thought she saw a small symbol engraved in the center of the ring.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ami caught sight of the clock. It was 4:20. "Oh no, I have cram school in ten minutes! I'm going to be late!" She quickly picked up her backpack and pushed passed the crowd, moving towards the exit.

"Wait, Ami!" Usagi called after her. "Do you have to go? I'm having so much fun!"

Ami briefly turned back to her new friend. "Sorry Usagi, but I can't be late! We'll do this again some other time, I promise!" As Ami dashed out the doors to the arcade, something fell out of her backpack and clattered to the floor. She didn't seem to notice it, because she kept going and didn't look back.

Usagi pouted at Ami's last comment. "Being late isn't so bad…" She then noticed the item that Ami dropped. She went over to inspect it, and found it to be a CD of some sort. On the front was a fine bold print that read 'Crystal Seminar.' Usagi grinned widely and immediately pocketed the disc, making her way back home.

* * *

Ami just barely managed to make it to her cram school, but she was the last one to sit down. Great, now she knew how it felt to be irresponsible. She was experiencing so many new emotions today. As she turned on her computer, she reached into her backpack to retrieve her Crystal Seminar DVD, but panicked when it was nowhere to be found. She couldn't believe she had forgotten the most important thing to bring to class! Oh well, it's not like the teacher paid attention to what the students did anyway. She'd just work on something else for the day.

As Ami looked around the room, she noticed that the other students appeared to be fixated on their computers, not moving an inch. It was odd, even eerie to some extent, how focused they seemed. Even though they were supposed to spend every second here studying, there was still something off about the atmosphere today. Ami couldn't put her finger on it, but something definitely didn't feel right. Cautiously, she took out her new pen and some notebooks, beginning to work on some pre-calculus she had been assigned. Even though it was only an arcade prize, the pen looked and felt very expensive, almost like a piece of jewelry. As she began writing, even the ink sparkled and shimmered under the dim light of the classroom. A glitter pen? Not usually her style, but it was an arcade prize after all. As Ami continued to work, the teacher eyed her suspiciously from the front of the room.

* * *

Usagi burst into her room, still bearing the same wide grin from the arcade. She sat down at her desk and opened up her laptop, a very expensive gift from her mother. She placed the Crystal Seminar disk in the CD tray and waited as the program booted up.

"Usagi, what're you doing?" Luna had been napping on the girl's bed, but was woken up by the sudden ruckus she was making.

"Just seeing what's on this CD my friend Ami dropped!" she beamed. "With any luck, it's a bunch of stuff that'll make me smarter!"

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you should be doing this, Usagi? I mean, you basically stole that from her."

Usagi just kept smiling. "I didn't steal it! She dropped it. Besides, it's not stealing if I give it back. I just want to copy any notes she might have on here."

Luna stood up and hopped over to the desk. "Isn't that still academic dishonesty, though?"

Usagi's smile finally dropped at this remark. "Oh, give it a rest, Luna! What do you know about the school system anyway?"

On the computer screen, the software finally finished loading, and Usagi turned to see what was on screen. "I hope it's English notes! That's my worst subject ever!" She stared at the screen as the window appeared, but instead of English notes, Usagi found herself looking at a blank white screen. She was confused at first, and that confusion turned to disappointment, and that disappointment turned into frustration. There wasn't anything on here! No notes, no answers, no homework, no nothing! Then what was Ami carrying this disc around for then? She'd have to ask her blue-haired friend tomorrow, because no normal person carried around nothing. Usagi was about to close down the program and embrace the horror of homework, but she found herself unable to look away from the screen. Even though the screen was blank, she was utterly transfixed by the whiteness. It almost seemed like an endless void that just went on forever. From out of nowhere, Usagi began to hear a voice whispering at the back of her mind. She couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, but it almost seemed to be coming from her computer. "You shall serve the great ruler, Queen Metalia," the voice whispered. "You shall serve the great ruler, Queen Metalia."

Luna didn't know why Usagi had stopped moving. There was nothing on the screen, so shouldn't she be shutting it down? As she looked closer, she noticed that Usagi's eyes looked familiar somehow. They were just like how they looked when she found her reading that evil manga the other day! Luna quickly focused her senses, and indeed there was a dark energy emitting from the computer, or more likely from the CD inside of it. On instinct, Luna leapt onto Usagi's desk, raised her paw into the air, extended her claws, and swiped at the computer with all her might. Despite her small size, Luna was able to smash the computer screen, breaking the program's control over the blonde girl.

"Luna! Did you have to destroy my computer?!" Usagi cried. "My mom's gonna have my head for this!"

"Well what was I supposed to do?" Luna asked defensively. "That disc was trying to control your mind!"

"Maybe you could have taken the disc out of the computer?" Usagi said, gesturing to the crushed CD tray.

Luna thought for a moment, then lowered her head, knowing she was in the wrong this time. "You're right. My apologies, that was a little impulsive of me."

Usagi crossed her arms and nodded, silently chastising her feline companion. Then, another thought crossed her mind. "Wait, why would Ami have a disc made by the Dark Kingdom?"

"Perhaps she is an agent of the Dark Kingdom? Maybe she intentionally dropped that disc thinking you would pick it up…" Luna began to consider, before Usagi got up in her face.

"Don't be ridiculous! Ami is not evil! She's the sweetest, smartest, most innocent girl I've ever met!" she practically shouted at the black cat.

Luna backed up nervously, but raised an eyebrow nonetheless. "But you only met her today…" She then noticed the label on the disc: Crystal Seminar. "Wait, the Crystal Seminar… is that the cram school Ami went to?"

Usagi sat back down, calm again. "Yeah, why?"

A dozen thoughts raced through Luna's mind, until she eventually came to a conclusion that made her eyes widen. "Oh no… if the school gave her that disc, that must mean a monster is one of her teachers! She and her entire class could be in danger right now!"

As soon as Usagi heard this, she stood up, grabbed the cat, and began shaking her violently back and forth. "Then what are we sitting around for?! We have to go save Ami RIGHT NOW!"

Luna's eyes rolled around in their sockets, her head spinning from Usagi's sudden assault. When she finally recovered from her brain rattling, she narrowed her eyes bravely. "Right then, let's go Sailor Moon!"

* * *

Ami sat contently at her desk, finishing up her pre-calculus assignment. It had been relatively easy, as math was her best subject. At this point, any tension she felt from the classroom had left her. That is, until her teacher came over and stood over her menacingly. Ami looked up at her nervously, taken aback by her teacher's intimidating demeanor.

"Miss Mizuno, why aren't you using the Crystal Seminar disc I gave you yesterday?" she asked in a rather condescending manner.

Ami frowned sadly. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Takashi. I must have misplaced my CD sometime earlier today. I promise I'll find it and bring it tomorrow."

Mrs. Takashi simply smiled lightly and leaned down to her desk. "Nonsense, child. I have a spare CD right here," she said, taking out another Crystal Seminar disc and inserting it into the computer.

Ami watched as the program came up on screen, but she was confused when the window that came up was blank. "Um… are you sure this is the right disc, Mrs. Takashi? There's nothing-"

"Hush, child," Mrs. Takashi interrupted. "Just focus on the screen and nothing else. That's why you're here after all: to strengthen your mind."

Ami kept her gaze on the white screen. She wanted to protest further, but couldn't. She couldn't look away from the computer, let alone move a muscle in her body. On top of that, she heard a faint voice coming from the screen, seeping into her ears and manipulating her mind. "You shall serve the great ruler, Queen Metalia. You shall serve the great ruler, Queen Metalia," it said over and over again.

Mrs. Takashi grinned mischievously. Everything was in place now. It was time to begin harvesting energy from these pathetic children…

* * *

Usagi peeked around the corner at the entrance to Ami's cram school. The building looked like a prison; a big white block with dark windows and two guards standing at the front entrance. The Bun-headed girl was suddenly happy she went to the school she did.

Luna stood patiently at the girl's feet. "I'm picking up a massive amount of dark energy from this building. We have to get in there fast! Now, we just need a way to get you past those guards…"

"Oh please," Usagi chirped. She lifted up one leg, placed a hand on her hip, and flashed a V-sign over her eyes. "I'll just walk right up to them and ask to go inside! Guys would never turn down a beautiful young girl, now would they?"

Luna sighed. "I think you're overestimating yourself, Usagi…"

The blonde quickly dropped her cute act and bent down to Luna, her forehead popping a vein. "Speak for yourself, Miss Computer Wrecker! How do you propose I get inside?"

Luna winked up at the angry girl. "I've got just the thing." The black cat concentrated, the crescent moon on her forehead glowing and releasing a beam of light. From within the bright beam, a small pink pen with a red crystal on top appeared. Usagi watched in wonder, reaching out to grab it. "Consider this my payment for your laptop."

"What is it?" Usagi asked, inspecting the pen curiously.

"That's the Disguise Pen. It originally belonged to the Princess, but any soldier of the Moon Kingdom can wield its power," Luna explained. "All you have to do is hold it up, say 'Moon Power,' and then tell it what you want it to disguise you as. Now, I believe this situation calls for-"

"MOON POWER! Change me into… A DOCTOR!"

Much like her Transformation Brooch, the Disguise Pen enveloped Usagi in a brilliant ball of light. She could feel her school uniform dissolve from her body and a new outfit form in its place. When the light dissipated, Usagi was now dressed in a short pink doctor's uniform dress, complete with a medical kit in her hand.

Luna's expression dropped, a huge bead of sweat forming on the side of her head. "I was going to say change into a security guard like them…"

"Less lip, more zip!" Usagi said cheerily. She suddenly picked up the black cat and forcefully stuffed her into the medical kit.

Luna was caught off guard, and immediately began putting up a fight. "Usagi! What're you- mmph!" She was cut off when Usagi snapped the kit closed.

"Sorry Luna! Just trust me, I have this under control!" The blonde girl then took off running towards the entrance, not even slowing down when the guards saw her approaching and eyed her suspiciously. "Excuse me! There's been a medical emergency in this building! I need to get in right away!" Still not stopping, Usagi dashed past the guards and into the cram school. The guards were perplexed. The girl looked awfully young to be a doctor, but if someone's life was at risk, they had no choice but to let her go.

Once she knew they were inside, Luna burst out of the medical kit, hopping onto the floor and scowling at Usagi. "I can't even fathom how that worked! Mind telling me what that was all about?"

Usagi smiled brightly, striking another pose. "Oh, I just thought a doctor's outfit would be cuter, that's all."

Luna's eyes went wide at the girl's words, not to mention at how casually and happily she admitted them. "Wait, you mean you didn't even know it would get you past the guards?!"

Usagi just kept moving down the hall. "Chill out, Luna! The important thing is we're inside. Now we have to save Ami!"

Remembering why they were here, Luna let go of the young girl's antics and followed her towards the stairs that led to the upper floor.

* * *

Mrs. Takashi looked around her classroom. All of her students, including Ami, were now fixated on their computer screens. Her hypnosis program had worked wonderfully! Now it was time to begin draining their energy for Queen Metalia…

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The woman turned to see where the unexpected high-pitched voice originated from, and she found herself face to face with a young girl standing in the doorway. And she was dressed in… a doctor's uniform? "What is the meaning of this?" she hissed.

"I know what you really are!" the girl said, pointing a finger at the teacher. "You're an agent of the Dark Kingdom, aren't you?"

Mrs. Takashi was surprised. How did this girl know who she was? As she looked closer, she noticed a pair of distinctive blonde buns and pigtails stop the girl's head. Hadn't she heard about someone with that very hairstyle? No… it couldn't be!

"Yes I am," she said maliciously, baring her teeth at the young intruder. "And you must be Sailor Moon, is that correct?"

Usagi placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out heroically. "That's right! And now I'm going to stop whatever evil plot you're plotting!"

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

Mrs. Takashi was temporarily blinded by a eye-scorching light that seemed to be as bright as the sun. When she looked back to the supposed doctor, she was shocked to see that her outfit had changed to a sailor uniform. "So I was right…"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

Mrs. Takashi stared at Sailor Moon for a moment, before lowering her head and chuckling demonically. "Don't get so cocky, you damned Sailor Soldier…" The teacher's body began to stretch out, ripping her clothes and forming new garments over her body. Her skin turned a deep shade of red, her features became pointy and sharp, and her clothes changed from a standard teacher's suit jacket and dress skirt into an outfit that resembled a stripper teacher. She wore a strapless white one piece, a black tie, long black stockings with high heels, and wicked triangular glasses. Her nails were now extremely long as well, and her hair stood up like Frankenstein's bride.

Sailor Moon stepped back, not prepared at all for this appearance. "You certainly are… different from the other monsters I've fought."

"I am the mighty Brainiac of the Dark Kingdom! Prepare to have your mind warped and destroyed, Sailor Moon!" the succubus-looking monster announced.

"Oh yeah?" Sailor Moon smirked confidently. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

Brainiac mirrored the girl's smile. "By subjecting you to a test!"

Sailor Moon felt heart sink at these words. She kept her smile bright and wide, but she could feel tears forming on the edge of her eyes. "I am so royally screwed…"

"First question!" Brainiac announced. "How many centimeters are in a decimeter?"

"Um…" Sailor Moon mumbled, scratching her head. "A thousand?"

"Wrong answer!" Brainiac growled. She held up a blank piece of paper, which became enveloped in a black and purple aura. She threw the paper at Sailor Moon, which the young soldier dodged with relative ease. However, the paper managed to clip her hair, slicing off several golden strands.

"Eep…" Sailor Moon said weakly.

"Second question! How long does a mother cat remain with her offspring before leaving them?" the demonic teacher asked.

Sailor Moon's eyebrows creased and her eyes went white with anger. "What kind of a dumb question is that?! I don't know what kind of eggs cats lay!"

Luna slapped her paw against her forehead and groaned. "You have got to be kidding me," she said, feeling as if she had just lost a few brain cells.

"Wrong again!" Brainiac called out before throwing three more razor sharp pieces of paper at Sailor Moon. The blonde girl ducked behind one of the student's cubicles, narrowly avoiding getting cut to ribbons. "Last question! Get this one wrong and I will show no mercy!" Sailor Moon began biting her fingernails, bracing for the next 'impossible' question. "What is the English Translation for the Japanese term 'Hai?'"

At this point, Sailor Moon had given up all hope. "Crud, this has always been my worst subject!" she whined. "Um… uh… why does English have to be so hard?!"

Luna couldn't take it anymore. "Usagi! Hai translates to Yes! Everyone knows that!"

Sailor Moon stood up and shook her fist at the black cat. "Well you don't have to rub it in, smarty-pants!" She turned to Brainiac and jabbed her finger at her. "Hai means Yes in English! Everyone knows that, you freak!"

Luna couldn't help but sigh again. She had about enough of this girl, regardless of whether or not she was a Sailor Soldier.

"Sorry, but outside help counts as cheating!" Brainiac laughed. Sailor Moon's arm fell limp to her side. Now it was all over… "Prepare to face the consequences for your actions!" Brainiac turned around and looked out over her classroom, snapping her fingers at one of the cubicles. "Miss Mizuno! Come forth and kill this insolent girl!"

Usagi's eyes went wide with concern. "Miss… Mizuno?" She prayed that she was remembering that name wrong.

Lo and behold, from out of the cubicle stepped Ami, only she clearly wasn't herself. She didn't even seem to notice Sailor Moon was there. Instead, she appeared to be staring off into space with eyes that lacked any pupils. Without warning, the girl charged at Sailor Moon and grabbed her by the throat, shoving her up against the wall.

"Ami…" Sailor Moon stammered, struggling to breathe. "Stop it…"

"Sailor Moon!" Luna cried out. She rushed over, intending to knock the blue-haired girl away. However, she was cut off by a glowing piece of paper striking and embedding into the floor in front of her.

"Do not interfere, filthy rodent!" Brainiac hissed.

Ami began to tighten her grip around Sailor Moon's neck. The soldier's face was beginning to turn red as all the blood in her body rushed to her brain to try and preserve it. She could feel her lungs beginning to burn, her vision start to fade, her body start to go numb. Was this how she was going to go out? Being strangled by one of her new friends? She felt like this was retaliation for wanting to use the girl for homework and test answers. If she ever got out of this situation, she promised to remain Ami's friend and not make her share any of her work. "Ami… please…"

Just as Sailor Moon was about to lose consciousness, she felt Ami's hands release her neck. Immediately, Sailor Moon dropped to her knees and gasped for air. As her vision came back, she looked up and saw two things: Ami standing some distance away now, still apparently in a trance, and a tall dark figure a standing protectively over her. Even without seeing his face, Sailor Moon knew exactly who it was.

"Tuxedo Mask!" she cried out joyously. "You saved me again!"

The handsomely-dressed man turned around and grinned. "Looks like I got here just in time," he said. "It wasn't easy, I had to knock out a couple guards to get in."

Sailor Moon stood up and held his arm for a moment. "My hero! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Tuxedo Mask simply smiled down at the girl's rather adorable display of affection. "Charmed," he simply said.

"Enough of this!" Brainiac interrupted. "Miss Mizuno, do not let up! Kill them both! Remember, you serve Queen Metalia now!"

Hearing this, Sailor Moon let go of Tuxedo Mask and walked forward, her eyes narrowed. "No she doesn't! Ami doesn't serve you or anyone and she never will! Neither will any of this other kids!" She turned to Ami, her expression and voice softening. "Ami, listen to me! You have to snap out of it! You're smarter than her… heck, you're the smartest girl I've ever met! That means you can fight her control! I know you can!" Ami kept striding towards Sailor Moon, her arms beginning to reach out again. "No, you're not just smart! Ami, you're my friend!"

Those four words seemed to instantly break whatever control was holding onto Ami. Her pupils returned to normal, and her conscience became clear. She began frantically looking around the classroom, confused at nearly everything she saw. "Miss Takashi? Sailor Moon?" She didn't recognize the man in a tuxedo, but then again she barely recognized her teacher either. The one thing she did recognize, however, was the beautiful blonde girl standing before her, a bright smile etched on her face.

"Ami! You're back!" Sailor Moon beamed.

"U-Usagi?" Ami stammered. "You're… Sailor Moon?"

Sailor Moon was taken aback. Apparently she had made it too obvious. "What? N-No! Of course not, I'm-"

"Silence, foolish girl!" Brainiac screamed suddenly. "I will not tolerate any more delays!" She whipped out another sheet of paper and coated it in the dark aura. She took aim directly at the blonde-haired heroine. "Die, Sailor Moon!"

Sailor Moon screamed and braced for the pain when she saw what was about to come.

"Sailor Moon!" Luna and Tuxedo Mask cried out in unison.

Ami saw what was happening, and a wave of pure and utter terror suddenly hit her. Usagi was about to be killed by that monster! What felt like hundreds of emotions suddenly began rushing through Ami's mind. She felt concern, fear, sadness, and… anger? Was that really one of them? She had never felt anything like that before. And yet, that one emotion, anger, felt like it was the strongest one. She felt like if she embraced it, she could stop all this madness. She could save herself and Sailor Moon. She could defeat this malicious atrocity that threatened her friend!

"Stop it! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

All eyes were now on Ami. Brainiac halted her attack to see who else dared to interrupt her evil deeds. However, the brainy succubus was met only with another blinding light like the one Sailor Moon had given off. Only this time, instead of pure white, the light was a regal blue color, like that of the ocean itself. Brainiac focused her vision, and could make out the source of the light: a symbol had appeared on Ami's forehead. It was the symbol of the planet Mercury.

Luna was stunned. Could this girl really be one of them? Only one person she ever knew bore that mark, but was this girl actually her? There was only one way to find out. "Ami!" Luna called out. "Take out your Transformation Pen, hold it up to the sky and shout 'Mercury Power, Make Up!'"

Normally, Ami would have taken a moment to question the fact that a cat had just spoken to her, but her mind was currently fixated elsewhere. On top of that, a voice at the back of her mind was telling her to do the same thing. She didn't understand anything about what was going on right now, but she did understand one thing: She had to protect Usagi!

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

The pen began to emit a bright light, completely illuminating the darkened classroom. Ami brought the pen down, drawing out the symbol for Mercury in the air in front of her. She reached forward and touched the floating symbol, causing a huge wave of water to erupt behind her. As the wave came down and washed over her, Ami could feel cold tendrils of water wrapping around her arms, legs and torso. When the water disappeared, she found herself adorned in a white and blue sailor uniform, with white elbow-length gloves and blue knee-high boots. Finally, she felt a tingling sensation above her eyes as a golden tiara with a blue gem at the center formed atop her forehead.

Sailor Moon watched in amazement as the girl transformed. Her outfit looked the same as hers, but it was mostly light blue instead of dark blue and pink. "Ami, is that you?"

The blue-haired girl could hardly wrap her mind around what just happened. Just when she thought she was done with new feelings for the day, this transformation she apparently went through made her feel a rush of power, as if this cute little sailor uniform somehow made her stronger. Once again, she heard the call at the back of her mind, compelling her to face Brainiac and strike a pose.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

Brainiac's eyes went wide. "Two… Sailor Soldiers?!" She could almost hear the shake in her voice. She was sure she could kill Sailor Moon herself, but there was no way she stood any chance against two of them! For the first time in her life, Brainiac knew what was it was like to feel fear for her own life. It seems Ami wasn't the only one learning new emotions today. "No… no this can't be happening!" Brainiac screeched, narrowing her eyes. "I will not fail my great ruler!"

The skimpily-dressed monster changed her aim to Sailor Mercury, throwing the paper she still held directly at the new Sailor Soldier. Sailor Moon cried out to her fellow soldier, warning her to get out of the way, but Ami stood her ground, a determined look in her eyes.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Ami spread her arms out wide, two spirals of water forming in each of her hands. The spirals began spraying out a thick, freezing cold mist that covered the entire room in mere seconds. Upon coming into contact with the mist, Brainiac's paper lost its dark aura halfway towards Ami, instead becoming limp and drifting down to the floor like a normal piece of paper.

"Damn you!" Brainiac screamed in anger. She turned her head from side to side, unable to see where Sailor Mercury, Sailor Moon, or Tuxedo Mask were. "It's so cold…" she lamented as she hugged her torso, trying to conserve body heat. Just then, a tall shadow appeared in front of her. "There you are!" Brainiac lashed out with a clawed hand, intending to impale whoever was there on her long nails. Instead, her wrist was caught by a gloved hand, halting her attack. The surrounding mist began to fade, and Brainiac found herself at eye level with Tuxedo Mask. "You!"

The tuxedo-clad man tightened his grip on the monster's wrist and yanked her towards him, driving his knee into her stomach. Brainiac fell to her knees, the wind knocked out of her, and tried to take in air. "Sailor Moon, finish her now!"

Sailor Moon had been hugging the wall in fear all the while, but now that the mist was gone, she could finally see where she was going again. Hearing what her hero said, Sailor Moon took off her tiara and turned it into a sharp disc.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The tiara was released from Sailor Moon's grasp and it sailed across the room, perfectly in line with Brainiac. The monster held her arm up defensively, but it proved to be futile as the tiara phased right through her forearm and subsequently through her head. Brainiac just sat there, stunned as her arm separated at the elbow and dropped to the floor, quickly followed by her head splitting down the middle into a v-shape. Sailor Moon cringed at the sight, not intending to be so unnecessarily brutal. Thankfully, the succubus was put out of her misery as her body turned grey and crumbled into dust.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Luna groaned.

Just then, the effects of Brainiac's mind control began to wear off. All the other students in the room finally looked up from their computers, rubbing their sore heads and inspecting their surroundings.

"What the heck happened?" one said. "Why does my head hurt so bad?

"And how did it get this late so fast?" another asked, noticing that the sun was setting outside.

The other students began discussing what could be a possible explanation for the strange circumstances they had all woken up to. Luckily for the Sailor Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask, all three were able to quietly slip away before anyone noticed them.

* * *

As daylight came to an end and dusk settled in, Ami found herself walking home after a long and exhausting day. However, something was different about today: she wasn't alone. Next to her was a gorgeous blonde girl who couldn't stop raving about how repulsive the way she had killed that monster was. Ami had what seemed like millions of questions on standby, but she wasn't sure if she would ever get the chance to ask them.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, her head split apart!" Usagi continued to whine. "I think I got a headache just from looking at her!"

Ami seized the millisecond of an opportunity she had to interrupt the girl next to her. "Usagi, did all of that just really happen?" she asked. "Are we really these… Sailor Soldiers, or whatever that monster called us?"

Usagi was about to answer, but Luna suddenly leapt on top of the blonde girl's head and began to explain herself. "That's correct, Ami. Usagi here is Sailor Moon, the leader of the Moon Princess' royal guard. You are Sailor Mercury, soldier of wisdom and the Princess' chief technological advisor." Ami couldn't believe what she was hearing. Who was this Moon Princess she was talking about? "Not to mention you were also the most intelligent person in the entire Moon Kingdom!"

Ami's eyes widened. It had always been her dream to be considered one of the smartest, but the MOST intelligent? She was about to ask more questions, but Usagi yanked the black cat off her head and interjected. "Wow, that's so cool Ami! I can't believe my new best friend was the most smartest person on the moon!" Now Ami couldn't help but blush. It had been years since she had received any compliments or had any friends, but now that it was all happening at once, it was overwhelming, but it felt… right. The only problem was she had no idea how to return the compliments. Should she compliment Usagi back? Heaven knows she would love to tell her how beautiful she was…

"Thank you," she settled on. It was too early for her to be saying stuff like that. She was grateful for Usagi's company, but Ami felt she had to wait awhile before commenting on the blonde girl's angelic looks.

"You're very much welcome, Sailor Mercury!" Usagi replied with a wink at the end. She then looked up and saw the address they had arrived at. "Well, this is my stop! See you tomorrow, Ami!" With that, Usagi entered through the front gate to her house and headed towards the front door.

Luna stayed behind and looked up at Ami. "I apologize if she annoyed you. She's very spastic and energetic. She has a long way to go before she's ready to lead anybody."

Ami simply watched the golden-haired beauty go, a smile crossing her face- something that didn't happen too often with her. "I think she'll make an amazing leader some day…"

* * *

Kunzite stood sadly before Queen Metalia. "I… I'm sorry, your majesty. I had no idea that another Sailor Soldier would appear. Please… grant me another chance!"

Queen Metalia hissed as her essence swirled in the glass sphere. Then, the essence froze, and a jagged bolt of black lightning shot forth and struck Kunzite, painfully electrocuting him. The silver-haired man let out a cry of agony, feeling as if his entire skeleton, along with every muscle in his body, had been set on fire. After several gut-wrenching seconds of this torture, the lightning ceased, and Kunzite fell to his hands and knees, his skin smoking and his breathing labored.

"Of course you can have another chance," Metalia said politely. "But consider that a warning for what will happen if you fail again."

* * *

Usagi walked into her foyer, taking in the intoxicating scent of a freshly cooked meal. "Mmmm! What's for sup-sup tonight?" The girl took two steps into her home, when suddenly what sounded like a crazed wild animal roared from upstairs.

"USAGIIIII! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR LAPTOP?!"

Usagi's face turned blue. "Oh… no…"

~A Suivre~


	4. True Colors

Here is chapter 4! This is Ami's first focus-episode. Hopefully I didn't go too overboard with the subject matter. This is meant to set up a conflict Ami will have for a good majority of the story, so nothing is going to be solved here. I also decided to make Nephrite and Zoisite the main villains of this chapter, as I felt we haven't seen enough of them. This is my longest chapter yet, and now that I'm really getting into the story they may get progressively longer, depending on the content of each chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Ami's True Colors

The sun peeked its head over the arctic horizon, casting a heavenly golden shine on the snow that covered the ground for miles. Soon enough, the light reached the walls of a large stone castle that was half-buried in the snow. A nearby snowy owl was gliding over the drifts, looking for a meal to swoop down on. Unfortunately, it just happened to fly right into the castle's invisible barrier, disintegrating the poor creature instantly.

Inside the castle walls, a ray of sunlight shined through a partially opened curtain and onto a large regal-looking bed. Two large bumps in the bed began to stir, and one eventually rolled over and stood up. The muscular brown-haired man walked over to the curtains, wearing only a tank top and baggy shorts, and threw them open, spreading sunlight all over the room. This caused the other bump in the bed to squirm a little.

"Is it morning already?" a voice came from the bed.

Nephrite simply chuckled. "It's the crack of dawn, love. All creatures of the world rise at this time."

The person in the bed turned over and pulled the covers down some, revealing Zoisite's upper body, not wearing a shirt. "The way this world operates makes me sick. Everytime I'm having a magnificent dream, the sun decides to disturb me!"

Nephrite leaned down and grabbed Zoisite's chin, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "That's the ignorant world we're going to destroy, my dear. Have patience," he said soothingly. He then stood back up and put on his knight uniform. "I'm going out for awhile. I'll return soon."

Zoisite immediately sat up and looked worried. "Please don't tell me you're going to that dreadful city again!" he cried. "That's where the Sailor Soldiers reside! If they discovered you, they might… they could…" He began to lose his voice at the end, but Nephrite quickly placed a finger of his lip and smiled down at him.

"You underestimate me, Zoisite. I'm sure I'll be able to handle any… inconveniences I may run into." Zoisite smiled at this remark. "Besides, I intend to visit a new tea shop that just finished construction. I must admit, if there is anything I will miss about the humans, it is their fine delicacies."

Zoisite took Nephrite's hand in his own. "Oh, you must take me to try it sometime, love!" he chirped.

"In time, my dear, in time," Nephrite said as he stepped back and began to walk out of the room. "Make sure you are ready by the time I return. I'm sure Queen Metalia will have an assignment for us."

Zoisite giggled. "Hopefully I won't drift off again," he said jokingly.

Nephrite smiled at the blonde man once more before exiting the room and shutting the door.

* * *

Ami strolled down the streets of Tokyo, not in the best mood. Somehow, overnight, her favorite coffee shop had been closed down. She had gone there nearly every morning for the past few years, and she more or less relied on that place to give her energy for the day. Now, she had been forced to leave the shop behind and head to school with an empty stomach and eyes that refused to open all the way. There was no way she could make it through the day like this. She had to find another place to get some energy…

As she scanned the surrounding buildings, she noticed a sign in front of one that said "Welcome! Just Opened!" She looked up and saw that it was a tea shop, named Tai Chi Tea, and people were flocking inside to apparently give the new establishment a try. Ami sighed. It may not be coffee, but it was something. The blue-haired girl crossed the street and headed into the tea shop, taking in the building's sweet scent and elegant interior design. It was laid out like something from the feudal era of Japan, with bonbori paper lamps hanging from the ceiling, waitresses walking around in kimonos, and pretty much all the furniture being made out of wood and bamboo. Ami was quite impressed. However, she couldn't fully appreciate the place until she tried the tea. As she walked around looking for someplace to sit, she accidently walked right into a tall man with long brown hair, causing him to spill his tea all over his shirt.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, mister!" Ami apologized, quickly backing up and raising her hands in defense.

The man looked up from his now tea-covered shirt and glared at her. "Stupid girl! Look what you've done!"

"Please forgive me! It was an accident!" Ami said, bowing to the man. Instead of responding, he simply grunted and walked away and over to the main counter. Ami sighed in relief, grateful the man had not decided to retaliate or make her pay for anything.

Ami finally found a place to sit down, and as a waitress came up to her, she heard the man yelling at the lady behind the counter. "What do you mean I have to pay you again?! That stupid girl spilled my tea! I deserve a free refill!" The lady tried to say some consoling words to the man, but instead he threw his tea cup to the ground, shattering it, before storming towards the entrance. "Your service is atrocious! Someday this place will burn down!" Ami didn't like the sound of that, but thankfully the man was finally gone. She told the waitress her order and relaxed at her table, hoping the tea wouldn't take too long. She had a good hour before school started, so she wasn't too worried.

Just then, Ami noticed a faint blue light shining through her backpack. She opened it up and took out her Transformation Pen. The symbol for Mercury was etched into the golden ring on top of the cap, and it was blinking a bright blue light. What could be the reason for this? Before she could figure it out, the ring stopped blinking, putting Ami's mind at ease.

* * *

Usagi's eyes were fixed on her test. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, with tears brimming on the edges of them. Her bottom lip quivered and she began to whimper at the back of her throat. She was holding her English test from yesterday, easily her worst subject of all time. Although, she hadn't expected it to be this bad. At the top of the test, once again circled and underlined in bright red ink, was the number twenty.

"Care to explain this one, Miss Tsukino?" Ms. Sakurada said in a condescending tone.

Usagi looked up to her teacher with puppy dog eyes. "I… forgot to study again?" she said in a voice that could barely be heard.

Ms. Sakurada shook her head. "Tell me something, Usagi," she began. "How often do you actually study for tests?"

"Oh… you know… occasionally…" Usagi's eyes drifted to the left as she spoke.

"I thought so," the teacher interrupted, knowing exactly what the girl's answer meant. "Normally I would scold you and yell at you to get your act together, but I think it's clear at this point that doesn't work. I think what you need more than anything is a tutor."

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "A tutor?"

"Yes, someone who will help you develop good study habits and teach you better learning strategies," Sakurada went on. "And I think there's someone who's been offering that to you for some time."

The blonde girl's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. "No, you don't mean…"

Before Usagi could finish, someone set a large book case down on top of her head, nearly planting her face into the teacher's desk. "So, Bun-Head, wanna finally take me up on my offer?" Mamoru Chiba said. "Sounds like you need it now more than ever."

Usagi's eyes became red and veiny as her forehead creased in anger. She whirled around to face the annoying taller boy. "I think I'd rather fail than be tutored by you any week of the day!"

Mamoru chuckled at the girl's misstep. "Don't you mean 'any day of the week?'"

Usagi was taken aback by the boy's correction. He and the teacher had her in a corner. She knew she needed a tutor, but like hell it was going to be this jerk! Usagi's eyes darted around the classroom until she noticed Ami sitting at her desk, nose buried in a book. "B-besides, I already have a tutor!" the blonde said suddenly.

Mamoru and Ms. Sakurada looked shocked beyond belief. "You do?!" they said simultaneously.

"Yeah!" Usagi ran over to Ami's desk and wrapped her arms around the girl's neck in a tight hug. Ami's eyes bugged out of her head as her air supply was suddenly cut off. "Ami's tutoring me!"

"She is?" Ms. Sakurada questioned.

Ami was surprised by Usagi's sudden and very… insistent request, but the blue-haired girl nodded her head nonetheless, unable to speak a response due to currently being strangled by Usagi.

Ms. Sakurada smiled. "Well, I'm glad to hear that! Miss Mizuno is our top student after all." She then turned to Ami herself. "And I'm so glad to see you're already making friends! It usually takes transfer students some time to adjust, but that's clearly not the case with you." The teacher turned back to Usagi and narrowed her eyes at her. "As long as Usagi isn't being a bad influence on you…"

Usagi tensed up at her teacher's death-stare, causing her arms to tighten around Ami's neck, nearly collapsing the girl's windpipe. "Of course not, Ms. Sakurada! The two of us get along just fine!"

Sakurada sighed in relief. "That's good to know." She turned to Mamoru. "Apologies, Mr. Chiba. Looks like you'll just have to find someone else."

Mamoru bowed to his teacher. "It's no trouble whatsoever." He looked over at Usagi. "I'm just happy Bun-Head here is getting the help she needs!"

Usagi's eyes went blank like a ghost. In her rage, she unconsciously tightened her grip around Ami's neck even more. The air-deprived girl saw her life flash before her eyes. "I told you before: DON'T CALL ME BUN-HEAD YOU JERK!"

Just as Ami felt she was about to pass out, Usagi released her hold on her neck. She instantly took in a giant breath of air, refueling her lungs and giving oxygen to her brain once again. However, not even giving her a second of a break, Usagi grabbed the nerdy girl's hand and pulled her out of her seat.

"C'mon Ami, let's get away from this weirdo!" Usagi said, pulling her friend along like a dog on a leash. As the two passed Mamoru, Usagi pulled down her bottom eyelid and stuck out her tongue at the dark-haired boy. Mamoru simply sighed and waved kindly at her.

Ami wasn't paying attention to Usagi's antics. She was too distracted by the softness of Usagi's hand. It was like the delicate touch of an angel, as if her skin had never been roughened by anything she'd done in her life. Her grasp was nothing like the choke-hold she had been put in moments ago. It was gentle and kind, like the way a mother would hold her child's hand right after it was born. What may have been perceived as simple contact to anyone else caused the blue-haired girl to blush uncontrollably.

Mamoru watched the two girls go, chuckling to himself. "That Mizuno girl is in over her head."

He began to gather up his stuff, but stopped when a small, timid voice came from behind him. "Um… Mamoru?" The tall boy looked behind him to see a short red-haired girl standing behind him, anxiety written all over her face. "Uh… do you think… maybe… you could be my tutor?" Mamoru recognized her. It was Usagi's best friend, Naru. He must not have said anything for a moment, because Naru spoke up again. "N-not… not that my grades are bad or anything! I just don't understand some of the new material and I was wondering if you could help me out with it…"

Mamoru smiled lightly. This girl was pretty cute. He did find shy girls quite attractive, and if Bun-Head wasn't going to take up on his advances, then he might as well settle on Naru. "Of course. I'm always happy to help my classmates improve their grades."

Naru's eyes sparkled. "Really? You're so nice!" Realizing she had seemed a little too eager, Naru backed down. "I mean… thank you so much."

"Just hit me up whenever you wanna meet. My schedule's always open," Mamoru said, winking at Naru before turning around to walk away. However, he was stopped when he felt Naru grab his sleeve.

"Um… do you think maybe we could meet up tonight? At this new tea shop that just opened downtown? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to… I just thought I'd ask," Naru said, her voice fading more and more as she talked.

Mamoru was a little confused. Why would she want a tutor session at a tea shop? He felt like asking her, but if he did, the girl might cave in from anxiety. "Sure, wherever you want. I've actually wanted to try that place out myself."

"Oh… okay," Naru squeaked, smiling a little. "Then it's a date!"

"What?" Mamoru said, not knowing if he heard her correctly.

Naru slapped a hand over her mouth, her face turning as red as an apple. "N-nothing! Uh… see you tonight!" Naru slung her bag over her shoulder and ran out of the room, but then peeked her head back in one last time. "Don't forget, the shop is called Tai Chi Tea!" she said before disappearing around the corner.

Mamoru laughed. He had a feeling this was going to be more than just a tutoring session.

* * *

As Zoisite was finishing putting on his uniform, Nephrite burst through the door, his face riddled with anger. "Damn tea shop!" he shouted.

Zoisite quickly ran up to his love and took hold of his arm. "What is it, Nephrite? What's gotten you so angry?"

Nephrite calmed down a little at Zoisite's touch, but frustration could still be heard in his voice. "I had a perfectly good cup of tea when some imbecilic little girl decided to spill it all over me! Then, when I demanded a refill, they said I had to pay for it again!"

Zoisite brought a hand to his mouth. "Oh, Nephrite! How could they treat you so poorly?" the blonde man said sadly. "Those people are such demons! I should kill them for this…"

"Don't worry," Nephrite said suddenly. "I already plan to. Tonight, I'm going to go back there and destroy that tea shop, along with anyone inside it!"

Zoisite frowned and tightened his grip on his lover's arm. "Oh no you're not!" Nephrite looked down at him, confused. Zoisite grinned back up at him and batted his eyelashes. "Not until you take me there and let me taste that tea!" Nephrite couldn't help but smile even with how bad a mood he was in. "I want this to be a special night," Zoisite went on. "We'll dress up in our finest attire, share some of that delicious tea, and when we're finished, we'll blow up the shop together!"

Nephrite laughed. "Alright, sounds like a plan."

Zoisite playfully poked the taller man's cheek. "And don't you worry about paying. You already wasted money on that stupid shop, so I'll cover it this time."

"Don't be ridiculous," Nephrite said, shaking his head. "I would never let you pay for anything, my dear."

Zoisite yanked on Nephrite's arm. "Is that so? I guess I'll have to fight you for it then!"

"Bring it on!" Nephrite said. The tall brunette gripped Zoisite's arm and shoulder-tossed him onto their bed. He quickly leapt onto his lover and pinned his arms down. The two laughed the whole time, clearly enjoying their mock scuffle. When the two finally caught their breath, Nephrite looked down longingly into his lover's eyes.

"You know just how to cheer me up," Nephrite whispered soothingly.

"I know everything about you, love," Zoisite cooed back. Nephrite then lowered himself down and locked lips with Zoisite, generating a pleased moan from the blonde man. The two diabolical lovers embraced, excited for what was to come that night.

* * *

Ami opened the door to her apartment and stepped inside. It had been an exhausting day of studying, as was every day with her, but it was capped off by a tutoring session with Usagi. On one hand, the girl seemed to be completely hopeless when it came to studying, but that wouldn't stop Ami from trying to help her. On the other hand, she had gotten to spend quality time with the first friend she had had in a long time, and Ami couldn't be happier because of that. Maybe, just maybe, someday she could be more than friends with the golden-haired girl.

"Ami? Is that you?" a voice called out from within the apartment.

"Yeah, it's me mom. I'm home!" Ami responded.

A tall woman with dark, navy blue hair stepped into the foyer. She looked to be in her early forties; still young but starting to show a bit of age. The woman gave Ami a warm smile, holding out her arms to the girl. "Won't you give your mother a hug, dear?"

Ami smiled back and walked into her mother's arms, hugging her back. The two held each other for a moment before backing up.

"Dinner is almost ready," Mrs. Mizuno said. "I didn't know when you'd be home, so I just went ahead and started some noodles. Is that alright?"

Ami sighed. "I'm not that picky mom. I'll eat whatever you put on the table."

Mrs. Mizuno smiled at her daughter. "I've raised you so well."

The two walked into the apartment, with Mrs. Mizuno heading back into the kitchen and Ami slipping off her shoes and setting her backpack down on the dining room table.

"So, where were you after school?" Ami's mother questioned.

"Oh, I was just tutoring a new friend of mine," the blue-haired girl responded casually.

Mrs. Mizuno's eyes widened. "Tutoring? Friend? My goodness, you're moving fast for someone who just transferred." Ami smiled at the compliment. "So, does your new friend have a name?"

"Yeah, her name's Usagi Tsukino," Ami explained. "She's in the same homeroom and some of the same classes as me. She's lucky we have English together, otherwise she might be failing." Her mother laughed at this comment, causing Ami's smile to widen. "She's a really nice girl, mom. She's not the brightest bulb, but she's energetic and carefree and just fun to be around." Unable to contain herself, Ami let something she really didn't want to slip. "Actually, I think I might have a crush on her…"

Mrs. Mizuno sighed heavily. She appeared to be frustrated by this comment, but spoke calmly to her daughter. "Honey, we've discussed this before. You need to get over this little phase of yours."

Ami's heart sank at these words. She had heard them countless times before, but they never felt any less painful. "It's…" she stuttered at first. "It's not a phase mom! Why can't you just accept that this is the way I am?"

"I will not accept such nonsense!" Mrs. Mizuno snapped. "Someday you are going to become a successful doctor and marry a wealthy man. I won't let you run off with some ditz you met in school and ruin your future!"

Ami suppressed the urge to cry. She refused to look that helpless when discussing something she believed in so much. "But she's really nice! She's may not be as smart as I am, but she's funny and cheerful and she makes me happy! When was the last time you saw me happy?"

Ami's mother hesitated for a moment. "Would you rather be happy or successful?"

Ami thought she could answer this question in a second, but the more she thought about it, the less sure she became. Would she really be willing to trade success for happiness? Even though it was her mother's vision for her future, she couldn't deny she wanted it to some extent. But with a man? No, she couldn't have that. As the blue-haired girl pulled at her brain for a response, her mother let out another sigh.

"Think about it while you do your homework," she said, calming down but clearly still frustrated. "Now go to your room."

"Yes, mom," Ami said, defeated. The girl slowly walked out of the kitchen, grabbing her backpack on the way, and headed down the narrow hall of the apartment towards her room.

She quietly opened and closed the door, setting down her bag and sitting on the edge of her bed. Now that she was alone, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Ami covered her face with her hands and let go of the torrent of tears that had built up in her eyes. It wasn't fair. Why did her mother have to be this way? She loved her mother more than anything, and she knew she only wanted what was best for her. All Ami wanted was to make her happy, and any other time they talked, whether it was about Ami's grades, her mother's work, or just things they had opinions on, the two got along like any normal mother and daughter. So why did this, the most important part of Ami's life, have to be the one thing her mother didn't accept? The blue-haired girl continued to sob heavily over and over again, feeling the rivers of tears stream down her cheeks and letting her self-doubting thoughts race through her mind. She hoped her mother wouldn't hear her, as she didn't think she could handle another conversation with her.

Just then, Ami's phone rang loudly. It was Usagi! Quickly, Ami answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hey Ami!" Usagi said cheerily. Ami never knew that just the sound of someone's voice could soothe her. "I know we just left each other like an hour ago, but could you meet up with me and Luna at the park?"

"What for?" Ami asked.

"We wanna get ice cream together!" Usagi squealed. Immediately following this, Ami could hear a thud as well as rustling on the other end of the line. "Luna! Give that back!" Usagi's voice was very distant now. "How can you even hold that? You don't have thumbs!"

"Sorry about that, Ami," Luna's voice came on suddenly. "But could you be at the park in a few minutes? Usagi and I need to discuss some important things with you."

Ami chuckled a little at the obvious squabble going on over the line. "Certainly. I'll… be over as soon as I can."

"Excellent! See you soon," the black cat said.

Ami could hear Usagi say "Wait Luna! I want to-" before the call was ended. Ami smiled at the thought of seeing Usagi again, but at the same time she wasn't sure if her mother would let her go out at this hour. Oh well, she had to try. Luna did say this was important. Ami gathered her bearings and headed out of her room towards the front door. She saw her mother preparing dinner in the kitchen, not even glancing at her daughter as she passed by.

"Um, mom," she said weakly. "I'm gonna go for a walk. I just… need to think about some things."

Mrs. Mizuno didn't respond for a moment. "Alright, just be back soon. Dinner's almost ready," she said, still not looking at Ami.

Ami nodded and slipped on a blue hoodie jacket, knowing it might get chilly after dusk. She glanced sadly back at her mother one last time before heading out the door.

* * *

Naru sat at a table opposite to Mamoru. The handsome young man calmly sipped a cup of jasmine tea he had ordered. Naru had gotten green tea, but hadn't even picked up the cup yet. Once Mamoru had taken another sip, he looked over at Naru. "Aren't you going to drink your tea?" he asked.

Naru's eyes popped open. "Uh… y-yeah, or course! That's why we're here!" The girl took a massive gulp of green tea, but immediately grabbed her throat and coughed. "Hot! So hot!" she gasped.

Mamoru snickered a little, then decided to ask Naru what had been on his mind the whole time. "Naru, is this really a tutoring session?"

Naru was about to take another drink, but froze. "Why… why do you ask?"

"Well, you haven't even told me what you want to study yet. Plus I don't think I saw you bring in a backpack," he said suspiciously, playfully trying to raise the girl's tension.

Naru gripped her tea cup tightly, her eyes now glued to the table. "I must have… forgotten it at home. I'm sorry. I'll remember it next time." The redhead was caught off guard when Mamoru suddenly placed his hand on hers, causing her cheeks to flare up.

"Be honest with me. Why did you really ask me to come here with you?" Mamoru asked, insistently.

Naru swallowed hard. If she told his the truth, he might reject her for lying to him. No, he wouldn't do that. He didn't seem like that kind of guy. "I… I don't actually need any tutoring. My grades are just fine. I actually wanted to meet you here… as a date." She practically choked on that last word. She braced for Mamoru's response, but was surprised when she felt him squeeze her hand.

"You should've just said that in the first place. Why wouldn't I go out with a pretty girl like yourself?" the dark-haired boy said honestly.

Naru's cheeks flushed again as she broke out into a big stupid smile. It felt like the world was just lifted off her shoulders. "You mean that?"

Mamoru smiled back. "Absolutely. I had to admit, it did feel weird being asked out by a girl, but then I thought it was a nice change of pace. Even if it was indirect, it was pretty brave of you."

Naru giggled. "Thank you. I've never been called that before…" The redhead swirled her tea and took another sip, the warm drink finally putting her nerves at rest. "So, since this is a date, mind if I ask what you do for fun?"

Mamoru chuckled. "Well, I don't do much for fun, but I am studying fashion and clothing design as a… hobby of sorts."

Naru's eyes went wide with joy. "Fashion design?! Oh my gosh, that's like my favorite thing ever!" she said giddily. "I'm actually hoping to become a model some day."

"Is that so?" Mamoru asked. "Maybe the two of us could be partners some day. I've already finished assembling a tuxedo I designed, but I do have a few sketches for dresses as well. I don't know why, but I've had princesses on my mind a lot recently."

Naru had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from cracking up. "Princesses?!" she giggled.

Mamoru sighed. "Geez, I sound like a little girl…" he managed to get out before the two burst out laughing.

Across the tea shop, another couple watched the two kids laughing and enjoying each other's company. A man with long blonde hair done up in a ponytail sipped peacefully at his tea, while his brown-haired lover watched Mamoru and Naru intently.

"My, my, this tea is simply magnificent!" Zoisite chirped. "I'm so glad we came here, love!"

"Yes, of course, my dear," Nephrite answered briefly, his eyes fixed on Naru. "I could swear I've seen her somewhere before…" he said to himself.

Zoisite saw where his lover was looking and immediately narrowed his eyes. "You're cruel, Nephrite!" he cried. "How could you lay your eyes on another person when I'm right here?" The blonde man lowered his head sadly. "Is her beauty so great that it exceeds my own?"

Nephrite quickly turned to Zoisite and took his hand, producing a black rose in the other. "Forgive me, Zoisite. I would never suggest anything of the sort." Zoisite smiled happily and took the rose, inhaling its lustrous scent. "You are the only one I will ever have eyes for. Not even a rose such a this could compare to your beauty."

Zoisite blushed and turned away. "You're too much, love…" The blonde man picked up his tea and finished off the last of the exotic drink. He then placed the cup on the table and grinned maliciously at Nephrite. "I believe it is about time to lay waste to this place, wouldn't you say?"

Nephrite smiled. "Indeed." He looked around the shop, noticing that beside him and Zoisite, the two kids across from them were the only people in the shop. "It's a pity. I was hoping to claim more lives here, but I suppose these two and the staff will suffice."

Nephrite raised his hand to the air, his palm facing upward. A stemless black rose formed in the air above his palm and began glowing purple.

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Ami said. She sat next to Usagi on a park bench. The blonde girl was lapping at an ice cream cone, not paying attention to the current conversation. Luna sat on the sidewalk in front of them, and had spent the past few minutes explaining their situation to Ami. "Usagi and I are the reincarnations of a pair of royal soldiers who lived in a kingdom on the moon several eons ago?"

"That's the long and short of it," Luna said.

Ami could barely comprehend what she had just heard, let alone what she just recapped. "There… there has to be some kind of scientific explanation for all of this…" she insisted.

Luna shook her head. "There is no science behind any of this, Ami. This is destiny. The two of you along with several others have been reborn after all this time to defeat the Dark Kingdom once again. However, we must first locate the remaining soldiers as well as the Princess before we can stand any chance against the Dark Kingdom and Queen Metalia."

Ami thought for a moment. "No, that can't be right," she said sternly. "There's no such thing as destiny or anything like that. I can accept that this 'Moon Kingdom' or whatever existed, but there has to be a logical explanation for why it's all happening again."

Usagi stopped halfway between taking a bite of ice cream and looked at Ami with a frowned. "C'mun, Ami! You thewiouthly thill don't belief in mugic?" she said, talking with her mouth full. "Then exthplain how we twanthform!"

"Well, obviously this Moon Kingdom was very advanced in terms of technology," the blue-haired girl explained. "My pen as well as your brooch must release some type of nanobots or chemical or something that causes our clothes to change shape and give us those strange powers. The calls we use to initiate the transformations are likely a voice-activation code."

A large bead of sweat formed on the side of Luna's head. "Ami, I think you're putting a little too much thought into this…"

Ami was about to respond, but Usagi suddenly held her ice cream cone up to her face. "C'mon, Miss Smarty Pants! Have some ice cream to cool that brain of yours!"Ami was taken aback by this, but she couldn't resist the cheerful smile that Usagi faced her with. She leaned forward and took a tiny lick of the blonde's ice cream. "Hey! Don't hog it all to yourself!" Usagi cried, yanking the cone away and shoving the ice cream back into her mouth.

Ami giggled, but then blushed as a thought entered her mind. She reached up and gently touched her lips. Did she just… share an indirect kiss with Usagi?

Suddenly, an explosion erupted from not too far away in the city. Luna's hair stood up and she hissed, Ami turned around to see where it came from, and Usagi sprang nearly ten feet into the air, screaming at the top of her lungs, then crashed back down to the ground landing on her rear. "Owowow…" she whined.

"What in the world was that?!" Ami cried.

Luna closed her eyes and focused on the area where the explosion came from. Her eyes quickly went wide. "That energy… it's the Dark Kingdom!" The black cat turned to Ami and Usagi. "Hurry, girls! Transform!"

Ami took out her transformation pen and held it up to the sky.

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

Usagi slowly stood up and rubbed her behind. "Aww, but I haven't finished my ice cream yet," she said.

Luna suddenly leapt at Usagi and smacked the ice cream out of her hand, sending it splattering all over the sidewalk. "People are in danger, Usagi!"

Usagi's eyes watered. "Lunaaaa! Not again!" She was about to cry, but when she saw how serious Luna was, she wiped her eyes and stood up straight. "Right, sorry!"

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

Tai Chi Tea was in ruins. Rubble covered the streets, bonbori lamps were burnt to a crisp, and any part of the building that remained standing was engulfed in fire. Two figures emerged from the flames, now dressed in royal uniforms. The taller, brown-haired man wore dark red armor with a cape and shoulder pads, while the shorter, blonde man wore a regal golden outfit similar that resembled a pope's attire.

"That was satisfying," Nephrite said, grinning madly to himself.

"I wish you would have saved some for me," Zoisite whined, looking up sadly at his lover.

Nephrite smiled, taking Zoisite's hand in his own. "Apologies, my dear. I guess my pent up anger made me reckless. Next time you can destroy whatever you want and I won't interfere."

Zoisite smiled happily at Nephrite, hugging his arm like a little child. Nephrite sighed and gently stroked the man's blonde hair.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The two men looked up, angry that someone had dared to interrupt their moment. A ways down the street, they saw two young girls dressed in sailor uniforms glaring at them confidently.

"The Sailor Soldiers!" Nephrite snarled, before smiling to himself. "This should be fun…"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

While the girls were busy striking their poses, Luna ran up behind the two and saw who they were facing. "No… it can't be…"

Sailor Moon stuck her pointer finger out at the two men. "Alright, just who are you freaks?"

Nephrite pounded his fist on his breastplate. "I am Nephrite, Dark Knight of Black Roses and humble servant to Queen Metalia!"

Zoisite stepped forward and flipped his hair flamboyantly. "And I am Zoisite, Dark Knight of Brimstone and flower of the Dark Kingdom!"

Luna was frozen with fear. "Nephrite and Zoisite… this is not good!"

"Mercury, look!" Sailor Moon pointed to a nearby burning building, which Mercury recognized as the new Tai Chi Tea shop. Such a shame that a new establishment had to go to waste. "There might be people in there!"

Luna ran up to the two Sailor Soldiers. "Listen to me, girls! These two are knights of the Dark Kingdom. They're far too dangerous to fight alone." She turned to the burning tea shop. "But you're right, there could be people in there. Sailor Mercury, you need to put out that fire and rescue any people inside. Sailor Moon, distract Nephrite and Zoisite for as long as you can, but don't engage them until Mercury gets back!"

Sailor Mercury nodded. "Right, Luna!" She ran off towards the burning building. "Be careful, Sailor Moon!"

Nephrite and Zoisite laughed. "You're going to need to be more than careful, foolish girl!" the brunette said. "Prepare to die!"

Sailor Moon was nervous. Combining Luna's warning with how confident the two men seemed, she was hesitant to even make a move. However, she knew she had to distract them while Mercury rescued everyone from the tea shop. She just had to run away for now, and she was pretty good at that! Hoping she wouldn't regret this, Sailor Moon ran towards Zoisite and Nephrite.

* * *

Mercury ran as fast as her legs could carry her to Tai Chi Tea. Once she was about ten feet from the blaze, she came to a screeching halt, feeling a wave of searing heat that caused pain even from a distance. She was more than smart enough to know that getting too close could set her on fire as well.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Spirals of water formed in the girl's hands, spraying a thick, freezing cold mist at the massive wall of flames. In just a few seconds, the fire died down so that it was safe enough for Mercury to enter. She looked around the destroyed interior of the tea shop, noticing a few small flames still scattered about, but nothing that could cause serious damage or injury. Her eyes then fell upon a pair of people who appeared to be relatively young. Their clothes were charred and their hair was covered in ashes, but the soldier of wisdom quickly recognized their faces.

"Mamoru! Naru!" she cried, hurrying over to the two unconscious kids. She made sure to check their bodies before touching them, as not to disturb any possible injuries they may have sustained. They two appeared to have suffered several deep cuts and bruises, but nothing life threatening. Using the strength bestowed upon her by her transformation, she tucked the two young people under each of her arms and dragged them out of the building. Once outside, she saw Sailor Moon dodging numerous attacks thrown at her by Zoisite and Nephrite. "I've got to get over there quick!" Mercury said urgently. She dashed back into the tea shop to retrieve the employees, moving as fast as possible so she could join her blonde comrade in battle.

* * *

Sailor Moon darted left and right, her muscles already aching from how many attacks she had to dodge. Her stomach had begun to cramp up as well. She was starting to regret eating that ice cream cone earlier.

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

Nephrite swung his arm through the air, sending dozens of glowing black rose petals flying at Sailor Moon. The petals exploded upon making contact with anything, making it a very hard attack to dodge. Sailor Moon was thrown off her feet numerous times, but she managed to avoid any serious injury.

"BRIMSTONE HAMMER!"

Zoisite raised his arm to the sky, causing a giant golden crystal of brimstone to form above him. He hurled the rock at Sailor Moon with all his might, but the girl was still able to dodge it. The crystal still managed to leave a massive indent in the concrete below.

"Damn it!" Nephrite roared. "She is a nimble one, but she'll run out of strength eventually!"

"Perhaps we won't have to wait that long, love," Zoisite said, giggling devilishly. He focused on Sailor Moon, who was still zigzagging all over the street. However, the blonde man was able to see where the girl was going to step next.

"EARTHEN TRAP!"

Zoisite pointed two fingers at the ground in front of Sailor Moon. As soon as the blonde heroine took another step, the concrete road cracked open, and Sailor Moon stepped right into the crack. Before she could pull her foot out, the hole closed around her ankle, effectively trapping the girl.

"Crap!" Sailor Moon cried. She pulled at her leg with all her might, but it felt like she had just stepped in a bear trap. She was probably more likely to rip off her own foot than free it from Zoisite's attack.

Nephrite watched the soldier of love struggle with a smile on his face. "Excellent!" He produced a black rose in his hand, aiming it's spear-like tip at Sailor Moon's heart. The blonde girl saw what Nephrite was doing and, with some quick thinking, took off her tiara.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

She threw the tiara with all her might, hoping to stop Nephrite before he could attack her. However, the tall man simply swung the rose like a sword and knocked the tiara away, as if he were swatting a fly. "How naive…" Nephrite drew his arm back and hurled the rose directly towards the girl. Sailor Moon saw the oncoming attack and was paralyzed with fear. Where was Tuxedo Mask? Shouldn't he be here to save her by now?

Suddenly, Sailor Mercury leapt in front of Sailor Moon, turning sideways so that the rose embedded itself in her shoulder. With the thorny stem of the rose now buried halfway into her arm, Sailor Mercury let out a cry of pain. So this is what it felt like to be stabbed…

"Mercury!" Sailor Moon screamed. She pulled harder at her foot, not really caring at this point if she ripped it off or not.

"Interfering rascal!" Nephrite shouted. "Try and block this!"

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

Nephrite let loose another flurry of rose petals, ready to detonate when they touched Mercury's body. However, despite the stinging pain in her arm, Mercury was able to counterattack.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

She summoned another frigid cloud of mist that collided with the rose petals. However, instead exploding, the petals simply lost their purple aura and drifted harmlessly to the ground.

Now protected by Mercury's attack, Sailor Moon was able to give her leg several more firm tugs before she finally pulled her limb free of the trap. She immediately ran over to her blue-haired friend. "Ami! Are you alright?" She reached up to pull out the rose, but Mercury grabbed her arm.

"No! Leave it in, it… it'll plug the bleeding," Mercury said, her voice shaking with pain.

"Ami, you didn't have to go and do that," Sailor Moon whispered.

Mercury grabbed her hand. "That's not important right now! Usagi, Mamoru and your friend Naru were in that tea shop! We need to stop these two before they hurt anyone else."

Sailor Moon's eyes went wide. Those monsters hurt Naru?! Now they were gonna get it for sure! "How do we do that though?" she asked. "I already tried using my tiara, but Nephrite just deflected it!"

Sailor Mercury thought for a moment. Clearly they needed to get the tiara past their opponents' attacks, but how? As her mist attack began to clear, she could see that the ground was sparkling. It was covered in a thin layer of ice! Suddenly, an idea popped into the soldier of widom's head.

"Throw your tiara again!" she said insistently.

"What?" Sailor Moon asked, clearly confused. "They'll just knock it away again!"

"Trust me, I have a plan!" Mercury said, tightening her grip on her comrade's hand. Sailor Moon seemed hesitant, but eventually she nodded and stood up, facing Nephrite and Zoisite as the mist finally dissipated.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

She threw the shiny golden disk at the Dark Knights once again, aiming for Nephrite's torso.

"You never learn, do you?" Nephrite said arrogantly. He pulled out another rose and threw it at the tiara, planning to knock it away again.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Sailor Mercury sprayed another freezing cold mist, this time aiming for Sailor Moon's tiara. Her plan worked, and the mist surrounded the tiara, covering it in a layer of ice. As Nephrite's rose collided with the tiara, the ice coating cause it to simply slide off rather than knock it away. The Knight of Black Roses stared in amazement at what he witnessed, but that turned out to be a mistake. While he was busy gawking at the genius of the Sailor Soldiers' coordinated attack, Sailor Moon's tiara sliced into Nephrite's ribs, inflicting a deep gash into his side. The brunette man grunted and gritted his teeth in pain. He clutched his side and dropped to his knees, causing Zoisite to gasp and rush to his side.

"Nephrite!" the blonde man cried out. He kneeled beside his lover, who was now bleeding heavy from the slash wound and coughing up a small amount of blood. Zoisite slung Nephrite's arm around his shoulder and helped him to his feet.

"You'll pay for this, Sailor Soldiers…" Nephrite barely managed to say. With that, the two men turned around and Zoisite appeared to open an invisible door that led into nothing but blackness. The two stepped through the door and closed it behind them, and just like that, they were gone.

"They got away…" Sailor Mercury said before collapsing to her knees and de-transforming. She reached up and touched the area where the black rose was still stuck in her shoulder. As expected, it stung worse than a venomous snake bite.

"Ami!" Sailor Moon shouted before de-transforming and hurrying over to her injured friend. "We need to get you to a doctor!"

"No! I'm… I'm fine," Ami said, holding up a hand. "My mom's a doctor. She can treat it when I get home. I'll just… tell her I got mugged and they stabbed me with a knife."

Usagi placed her hands on the blue-haired girl's shoulders. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Ami smiled warmly up at her blonde friend before turning her head towards the ruined tea shop. "Besides, those people need more help than I do."

Suddenly, Usagi remembered who Ami said was in the fire. "Naru!" She jumped to her feet and ran over to her unconscious red-haired friend. She touched the girl's neck with two fingers, sighing with relief when she felt a pulse. Usagi then looked over and saw Mamoru lying unconscious as well. The sight of him did put a scowl on her face, but nonetheless she scooted over and felt his neck for a pulse. As soon as she felt a couple beats, she quickly pulled away from the dark-haired boy, as if disgusted to be anywhere near him.

Off in the distance, sirens could be heard making their way to the scene. Luna ran to the two girls. "I think it's time to make our exit."

"But… what about Naru and Mamoru?" Usagi asked nervously.

"They'll be fine, the authorities will take care of them," Luna insisted. "We need to get Ami home so she can be treated."

Ami walked up to her friend. "She's right, Usagi. Let's go."

Usagi took one last look at Naru and Mamoru, hoping the two would be okay. She then took a hold of Ami's hand and ran off with her and Luna into the night.

* * *

Nephrite and Zoisite stood before Queen Metalia, her essence swirling around like a hurricane in her glass sphere. Clearly, the great ruler was not happy.

"I am not sure I understand," she said in mock confusion. "You two believed you had the right to go out and cause havoc in the human world, resulting in potential casualties that could reduce the amount of human energy available to us?"

Zoisite looked up nervously at his lover, unable to say a word. Nephrite simply glanced down at him, no answer coming out of his mouth either.

Metalia let out an irritated hiss. "Jadeite! Come in here at once. I need an example…"

Jadeite entered the Queen's chamber in no time, taking a knee before his great ruler. "Yes, my Queen? And example for wha-" He was cut off by a thin beam of dark energy being shot though his shoulder, causing him to scream in pain and drop to the floor, clutching his arm in agony.

"You see, you two?" Queen Metalia said referring to Nephrite and Zoisite. "That is what will happen if you step out of line again."

Jadeite looked up with pained eyes. "Why… my Queen?" he said through clenched teeth.

"Because unlike you I have use for these two!" Metalia snapped. "And until you prove yourself useful, I will continue to use you in such a fashion as this. Is that clear?"

Zoisite couldn't help but giggle at Jadeite's pain, but he shut up when he felt Queen Metalia's essence focus on him. "Do not test my patience, Zoisite!" she roared. "One more mistake, and you will be in the same position as him!" Zoisite nodded anxiously, causing Nephrite to drape a comforting arm around his lover. "Now return to your barracks for the night. Treat Nephrite's wound and make sure he is healed by morning!"

The Knights of Black Roses and Brimstone placed a hand over their chests. "Yes, my Queen!" Jadeite stood up as well, still clutching his shoulder. "Yes… my Queen!" All three knights then exited Metalia's chamber, marble doors slamming closed behind them.

* * *

Usagi finished tying off her handkerchief around Ami's shoulder. The two had gone through a rather uncomfortable process which involved pulling the spear-like rose out of Ami's arm and having to quickly cover the wound with Usagi's handkerchief. Ami had to use her own Transformation Pen to bite down on during the removal of the rose so she wouldn't end up screaming and waking up half the public.

"There, all done!" Usagi chirped. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

Ami smiled weakly at her friend. "I think I'll feel a lot better when I get this properly treated."

Usagi made a moe face at this comment. "I could at least get a thank you…"

Luna walked up to the two girls and sat down, smiling at them. "You two showed excellent teamwork out there today. I'm very proud of you both." Usagi and Ami smiled brightly at Luna's compliment. The black cat then turned and looked suspiciously at Usagi. "By the way, Usagi, you seemed to be pretty concerned back there about that boy you really don't like," she said sarcastically.

Usagi's forehead popped a vein and she glared down at the cat. "Shut your face, Luna! Of course I was concerned about him! He's the most annoying person I've ever met, but that doesn't mean I want to see him get hurt!" Luna laughed and held up a paw defensively. Usagi, wanting to quickly change the subject, turned to Ami. "Speaking of people acting unusual, what was with that heroic act you pulled out there today, Ami?"

Ami was taken aback by this comment. "W-what? What does that mean?"

"I don't know, it just seemed pretty gung-ho for a shy girl like you," Usagi said.

True to her shy self, Ami's cheeks flushed and she looked down to the ground. "I… I've just been a little on edge because I'm having a disagreement with my mom right now," she said. "In fact, it's something we've been disagreeing on for awhile."

"Care to share?" Usagi squeaked, leaning towards Ami. Realizing Ami might be uncomfortable, Luna swiped her claws across Usagi's leg, causing the blonde girl to yelp and back up. It looked like the two were about to go at it, but Ami raised her hand and stopped them.

"No… it's fine Luna. I actually think this is something I need to talk about," Ami said, clearly uneager to discuss whatever was on her mind. Usagi pulled her knees up to her chest and focused on Ami, as if she were a child about to be told a bedtime story. Ami laughed a little at this, then put on her serious face and began. "There's a person that I have a crush on. They're kind, considerate, and they make me feel happy, which is something that doesn't happen a lot for me. But… my mom doesn't want me to see them."

Usagi suddenly stood up and clenched her fist. "So it's a Romeo and Juliet situation, huh?" she said, unintentionally interrupting Ami. "Don't listen to what your mom says! If you like this guy, you deserve to tell him how you feel!"

"I wasn't finished," Ami said, chastising a little. Usagi quickly shut her mouth and sat back down on the bench, curling up in a ball again. "This person I like… she's a girl, not a guy." Usagi's eyes widened. "I want more than anything to tell her how I feel and be with her, but if I do, my mom will hate me. I love my mom more than anything, so the last thing I want is for us to be at odds, but I also love this girl." A tear streaked down the side of her face, but Ami didn't seem notice it. "I just… I wish my mom would love all of me…"

Ami began to sob a little, but before she could cry any more, Usagi took her hand and squeezed it. Ami looked up at her blonde friend, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I still don't see a problem with that," Usagi said. "So what if it's a boy or a girl? If you like her, you should tell her! Your mom will just have to live with it!"

"It's not that simple," Ami went on. "My mom has successful future all planned out for me, but it involves marrying a man. I want that future for myself too, but I won't be happy if I have to marry a man." The blue-haired girl squeezed Usagi's hand tighter. "And now, she wants me to choose between happiness and success." She felt herself on the verge of breaking down. "What the hell kind of a choice is that?!"

"Why can't you be both?"

Ami wasn't expecting that answer, but as soon as she heard it, it made more sense than anything she had thought of up until this point.

Usagi stood up again. "Ami, I think you'll find that when it comes to love, I'm an expert!" Luna rolled her eyes. "And as an expert, I say that you should tell this girl your feelings! Your mom may not like it at first, but you just have to show her that you can be with a girl and still live out the future she has in mind for you! It may not happen right away, but if your mom really loves you, which I know she does, she will accept you sooner or later."

Ami was crying again, but instead of painful tears, she was shedding joyful ones. In that moment, she felt compelled to stand up and kiss the blonde beauty, but she knew that would be a bad decision. She had only known this girl for a few days, and making such an advance on her now could risk putting a wedge between them. Instead, she got to her feet and wrapped her arms around the bun-headed girl in a warm hug. "Thank you, Usagi." Ami smiled when she felt her friend return the hug. Yes, she would tell that girl her feelings, just not today.

"Ahem," a voice came from below the two girls. "Usagi, it's getting late. We should go home." Luna turned to Ami. "Your mom is probably getting worried."

Ami let go of Usagi and looked down at Luna. "Hopefully she'll buy my little mugging story."

"I mean, technically you did get attacked," Usagi interjected, laughing a little at her own remark.

Ami laughed a little herself, then turned and began walking down the street. "See you tomorrow, Usagi!" she called back, waving at her blonde friend.

Usagi waved both hands wildly through the air. "Bye Ami! I hope it goes well with that girl you like!"

With that, the two girls went their separate ways and walked off into the night, one of them filled with new found confidence in her feelings, and the other starting to feel the effects of stuffing herself with a three-scoop ice cream cone.

* * *

BAM! BAM! BAM!

A pair of fists repeatedly slammed into a large leather punching bag. A girl with long, raven-colored hair was getting in a cool-down workout after a long day of training. She threw punch after punch, until suddenly she felt something snap at the back of her mind. Her next punch ended up knocking the punching bag off its suspension chains and to the ground. The girl panted heavily, grasping her now aching head with one hand.

"Something wicked is coming for me… I can feel it…"

~A Suivre~


	5. Mars, Soldier of Passion

Here is chapter 5! This one took a bit longer to get out, but like I said, my updates will be anything but consistent LOL. Anyway, this is Rei's introduction. Unlike Ami, I decided to take a bit more liberty with her debut and change it up a little to better fit my interpretation of her character. Fans of the anime/manga will probably notice a few key similarities to her original debut, however. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5: Mars, Soldier of Passion

"Queen Metalia, I have new plan for gathering human energy," Kunzite said very straightforwardly. He had returned to his great ruler's chamber once again with a new plan in mind. The man had spent the previous day recuperating from Metalia's act of torture, but now that his strength was back to normal, he was ready to get back on track.

"And what is it this time, Kunzite? A monster that disintegrates itself?" Queen Metalia sneered, as if mocking her knight.

"N-No, my Queen, of course not!" Kunzite paused for a moment, expecting his Queen to continue, but she remained silent. "Well… after doing some research, I've learned that many humans practice a form of physical training known as martial arts. Apparently, they are various types of self-defense techniques that require severe mental and physical discipline. I believe that humans that practice these martial arts may have a higher concentration of energy than normal humans."

"Hmm… and interesting observation. Do you have a monster in mind for this operation?" Metalia asked.

Kunzite nodded. "He was actually the one who relayed this information to me in the first place. His name is Mantis, and he has been practicing martial arts himself for some time. He has developed his own unique style, which he calls 'Bugman Karate,' and he claims that it is mightier than any form of martial arts the humans practice."

Queen Metalia's essence swirled slowly, signifying she was deep in thought. "This sounds promising indeed…" She froze suddenly. "Then again, I have been let down by these monsters of yours numerous times before!" she hissed.

Kunzite bowed his head solemnly. "I understand that, great ruler. But I can assure you that this time will be different. I've noticed that the Sailor Soldiers, while clearly attuned to battle strategy, lack any form of combat prowess. Mantis will undoubtedly be able to subdue them with his hand-to-hand skills!"

"I will hold you to that, Kunzite!" Metalia said, raising her voice. "Remember what will happen if you fail again."

The silver-haired man stood up and placed a hand over his chest. "Of course, your highness." He began to back out of the room, but stopped about ten feet from the door and looked back at the glass sphere. "One more thing, my Queen… Zoisite told me that you attacked Jadeite because of a mistake he made. Is that true?"

"It is," she answered quickly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Kunzite hesitated. "Forgive me if I'm speaking out of term, but I do have a problem with it. Jadeite is my brother, and I don't think-"

"Silence!" Queen Metalia roared. "I could care less if he was your brother. Jadeite is expendable due to his lack of contribution to my cause. He may be useful for any cases I deem necessary, but I would not be disheartened if he died in the process of carrying them out!" Her essence froze again, and Kunzite felt her energy focus squarely on him. "In fact, from now on, any failures you report to me will result in him receiving the punishment!"

Kunzite stepped forward. "My Queen! Please don't!" He was cut off by a black bolt of lighting striking the ground inches from his feet.

"I will hear nothing more from you. Go to the barracks and send out Mantis immediately." Her glass sphere lit up, preparing to lash out with another bolt. "Or do you have anything else to add?"

The man remained silent, hanging his head and staring at the black spot where the energy bolt had struck. He backed the rest of the way out of the room, closed the doors, and headed for the monsters' barracks.

* * *

Naru sat silently in a hospital bed watching TV. The news was on and it was covering the story of Tai Chi Tea being destroyed last night. She had been watching the news all morning and this was about the third damn time she had seen this story! If only she could get up and change the channel, but her body was still aching all over from the previous night. It was like the news was making fun of her.

"NARUUUUU!" a squealing voice suddenly came from the door to her room. Before she could react, Naru felt someone collide with her and wrap their arms around her in a tight hug. The mess of golden hair that now covered her face told her exactly who had come to visit. While Naru was overjoyed by the presence of her best friend, she suddenly felt like a thousand red-hot needles were being jabbed into her muscles.

"Usagi… let go!" Naru said, regrettably pushing the blonde girl away from her. "My body still hurts all over, you know?"

Usagi quickly stood up and bowed. "Oh! I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking!"

Naru couldn't help but smile. Usagi was adorable when she was apologizing. "Don't worry, I'm just being a drama queen," she said, winking. "Mama Naru's just happy to see her baby girl again!"

Usagi straightened up and smiled brightly. "So what happened? Was it scary?" She thought about her next question for a second. "Did you get to see Sailor Moon?"

Naru frowned sadly. "I didn't. All I remember is somebody yelling something, and then everything went black…" She looked curiously at Usagi. "Wait, how did you know Sailor Moon was there?"

Usagi's mind suddenly raced, thinking of an explanation for what she said. "Um… uh… it was all over the news! Didn't you see?" The blonde girl started striking a bunch of fighting poses. "Sailor Moon and her partner Sailor Mercury showed up and beat the crap out of those monsters that attacked you! They were like BAM! And then the monsters were like AAUGH! Then everything went BOOM! I heard it was the coolest thing ever!"

The redhead laughed. "I stopped paying attention to the news after the third time they reported that story, but now I wish I could've been awake for that!" Her eyes began twinkling. "The Sailor Soldiers are so cool…"

"Yeah, we are!" Usagi said, not thinking.

"Wait, what?" Naru asked suspiciously.

"Uh… I-I mean… when are you getting released?" Usagi recovered with a not-so-subtle grin. "I was hoping we could spend the whole day at the mall tomorrow!" She began pumping her fist in the air. "Weekends, girlfriend!"

Naru smiled. "I should be released by the end of the day, around the same time as my new boyfriend."

Usagi froze. "B-Boyfriend?" She suddenly pounced on her bedridden friend and took her hands in her own. "Oh my gosh, you have a boyfriend?! That's so cute! What's he like? Is he hot? When'd you meet him? Have you kissed yet? C'mon, gimme all the details!"

"I think you already know what he's like," a voice came suddenly from behind the two.

Usagi went stiff. She recognized the voice, but was praying to every deity she knew of that it wasn't who she thought it was. As she slowly turned around to identify the voice, her worst fears were confirmed when she saw Mamoru standing the the doorway. "No… not you…"

Mamoru smiled warmly. "Nice to see ya, Bun-head."

Usagi dropped to her knees, the world seeming to collapse around her until she was surrounded by nothing but darkness. Disgusting images of Naru holding hands and happily skipping along with Mamoru filled her head. "It can't be… my precious Naru has been… tainted…" That last word was so quiet that Naru and Mamoru barely heard it.

While Usagi was mourning on the ground like someone had just died, Mamoru walked over to Naru's bed and took her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," the redhead said. "My body still aches all over, but it's nothing a few pills can't fix. They did say I should be released at the end of the day, same as you."

"That's good to hear," Mamoru said with a smile. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the mall with me this weekend? We can check out some of the new fashion stores." The dark-haired boy winked at Naru, causing her to blush profusely.

As soon as Mamoru finished his sentence, Usagi slowly rose to her feet, her forehead popping a vein and her teeth turning sharp as a shark. "What… did you say?!" she growled. "You dare try to ruin my weekend with Naru? I'm already taking her to the mall!"

Naru looked at her friend apologetically. "Sorry, Usagi, I just really want to spend time with him. We can go see a movie or something on Sunday, I promise."

In a matter of seconds, Usagi's expression shifted from bloodcurdling anger, to puppy dog-eyed sadness, and then back to anger again. "I'll never forgive you for this, Mamoru Chiba! You disgust me!" She began to back out of the room, dramatically pointing a finger at Mamoru the whole time. She held that pose until she was out of sight. Once she left the room, Naru and Mamoru could hear her blubbering like a baby as she ran down the hospital hallway.

Mamoru looked at his new girlfriend sadly. "I'm sorry, I hope I'm not ruining anything between you two."

Naru squeezed the boy's hand. "Don't worry about her. I'm sure she'll get used to the idea of us going out eventually. It's not like she's not my best friend anymore."

"I know that. I just don't want to be a wedge between you two," he said. "I can tell you've been friends for a long time, so any time you want to spend time with her, just let me know and I'll leave you to your devices."

Naru gazed up at her boyfriend, eyes glistening with adoration. "You're so kind, Mamoru. Thank you."

Before Mamoru could respond, a doctor walked in and frowned at the boy. "Hey, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed for the entire day until your release," he said sternly.

Naru giggled. "Did you sneak out of your room, you little rebel?"

Mamoru shrugged. "What can I say? I really wanted to see you." He began walking out of the room with the doctor, then turned back and waved at Naru one more time. His girlfriend, in return, blew a kiss at him, which he caught and pretended to place on his heart, generating a blush from the red-haired girl.

* * *

Usagi stomped out of the front doors, her eyes still blazing with anger. "Who does that Mamoru think he is? Is it his goal to make my life a nightmare or something?" She stopped at the top of the hospital's front steps, clenching her fists. "Well, now you've crossed the line, you jerk! You've made fun of my hair, you've insulted my smartness, but taking my Naru's purity is unforgivable!" She began to strike her trademark Sailor Moon pose. "In the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!" As she crossed her arms in the final pose, her right foot suddenly slipped off the top of the stairs and she went tumbling down to the sidewalk below. As per usual, she landed on her rear and began whining. "Owowow…"

She looked up when she heard what sounded like steam escaping a pipe, and saw a bus closing its doors and beginning to drive away. "Hey, that's my bus!" The bun-headed girl quickly got to her feet and began sprinting after the bus. "Come back, Mister Bus! You're my ride home!"

After chasing the bus for several blocks, Usagi finally managed to catch up to it at the next stop and jump on. Her lungs felt like they were made of iron, but at least she had a ride home now. It seems all her mornings of running late to school had paid off. Either that or being a Sailor Soldier somehow made her faster even as a human.

Usagi looked around the bus for a place to sit. Unfortunately, she had managed to catch the bus during rush hour, which meant every seat was packed. Of course, there were some people who felt the need to take up two seats by placing their bags next to them. That always rubbed Usagi the wrong way. Are your bags really more important than another human being? Or are you just so lazy that you can't hold onto your bag during the trip? Or are you such a germaphobe that you can't place your bag on the floor for a few minutes? Usagi swore that one day somebody just placed their bag in the seat next to them and suddenly everyone saw what they did and decided 'hey, I should do that too!" Usagi wished she could find out who started that, go back in time, and give them a big old smack across the face and say 'No! Don't you dare take up that seat with your stupid bag!' Seriously people, MOVE YOUR FREAKING BAGS SO OTHERS CAN SIT DOWN!

Finally, after much searching Usagi noticed an open seat and leapt into it like a tiger pouncing on its prey. Unfortunately, sitting down so fast caused her to bump into the person in the seat next to her. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry about tha-" She stopped short when she saw the person she bumped into. It was a young girl who looked to be about her age. She had deep, amethyst-colored eyes and long, raven-colored hair. "So pretty…"

The girl looked down at the girl suspiciously, but as she did, she felt something snap at the back of her mind. She clutched her head in pain. This feeling… it was exactly what she felt the night before.

"Um… are you okay?" Usagi asked.

At that moment, the bus came to a stop and began letting people off. The raven-haired girl quickly got up and walked off the bus with several other people. Usagi sat still for a moment, confused by what just happened, but as she saw the bus doors begin to close, she suddenly felt compelled to follow the girl. She leapt to her feet and dashed towards the closing doors, but she wasn't fast enough as they closed on either side of her face, squishing her cheeks together cartoonishly. The bus driver sighed, tired of making exceptions for this ditz, and opened the doors again for her. Usagi waved happily at the driver before hopping off and looking for the girl. She looked to the left, then to the right, but to her surprise, the girl had disappeared!

"Great, and I don't even know where I am…" Usagi looked around, noticing that she was in a very suburban looking area, with lots of small houses, large trees, and grassy parks. Then she looked in front of her, and her eyes widened. The building in front of her sat atop a hill nearly twenty feet tall. A set of stone steps led up to the building, which resembled an old Chinese pagoda, only not nearly as large. An archway that sat at the base of the stairs had a sign on it, which read 'Hino's Tai Chi and Meditation Classes.' As she gazed up at the beautiful construct, she noticed someone walking up the stairs. It was the raven-haired girl! Before Usagi could call out to her, she opened one of the pagoda's sliding doors and stepped inside, disappearing from sight once again.

"Hey, wait up!" Usagi said as she took off up the stairs, hoping to finally catch this mysterious girl.

* * *

"An evil spirit is approaching…" The young girl whispered to herself. She was crouched behind the sliding door that was the entrance to the dojo. The more she waited, the stronger the presence got. "I have to be ready to defend myself!"

The door slowly slid open, and a dark figure peeked its head inside. From her perspective, the figure looked like it had a pair of tentacles hanging from its head. Could this be a monster like the ones in the news? Or perhaps this was a demon from the bowels of Hell itself. "Hello?" the figure called out suddenly. That was all the initiative she needed. The girl leapt out from her cover and grabbed the figure with both hands, swinging it over her shoulder and slamming it into the ground.

"You will not take me, evil spirit!" the girl shouted as she raised her arm in a knife hand, preparing to strike down this being once and for all. However, with the outside sunlight now seeping in through the open sliding door, she could see that the supposed 'evil spirit' was nothing more than a young girl with golden hair, and she was staring up at her with an expression that looked half terrified and half in disbelief. Quickly, she released the girl backed up. "Oh my… I'm so sorry!"

The blonde girl slowly rose to her feet. "Ow… what was that for?"

"Forgive me, please! I… I thought you were an evil spirit…" the raven-haired girl said, bowing.

"An evil spirit?" Usagi said, raising an eyebrow. "Where would you get a dumb idea like that?"

The girl frowned. "Please don't make me regret that apology…" She took a second look at the girl in front of her. "Wait, weren't you sitting next to me on the bus?"

Usagi smiled brightly. "Yep, that's me! My name's Usagi Tsukino!" she said, flashing a V-sign over her eyes. "What's your name?"

"Rei. Rei Hino," the raven-haired girl answered. "So why did you follow me home?"

"This is your home?!" Usagi exclaimed, looking up at her surroundings. The interior of the pagoda, or as Rei put it, the dojo, was quite beautiful. It had a very traditional aesthetic to it, with sliding shoji doors everywhere and tatami flooring. The ceiling was high and decorated with beautiful paintings of people performing various martial arts, as well as animals such as dragons, tigers, cranes, and monkeys. As Usagi looked around, her eyes drifted back down to Rei, and suddenly remembered she had asked a question. "Oh, right! I followed you because I never finished apologizing for bumping into you on the bus!"

Rei looked a little disappointed. "That was your reasoning?"

Usagi smiled again. "Uh-huh! But I guess you kinda got me back when you flipped me over like that…" she said, laughing a little to herself at the end.

"Again, I must apologize for that," Rei said. "Though must admit, it was a little difficult lifting you."

The blonde girl's face suddenly fell. "Hey, are you calling me fat?!"

"It was just an observation," Rei justified. Just then, she heard one of the shoji doors slide open, revealing an short old man with dark skin and eyes that didn't seem to be open all the way.

"Ah, we have a visitor." The man turned to Rei. "Rei, you must remember to inform me when people arrive. It's not too often we have company," he said with a warm smile.

Rei bowed to the man and gestured to him. "Usagi, this is my grandfather. He runs this dojo and is my teacher in the art of Tai Chi."

Usagi's eyes widened. "You practice Tai Chi?! So cool!"

The old man walked up to Rei and took her hand. "And she is also my top student." Rei blushed a little. "Even though she can be a little reckless at times…"

Usagi laughed. "You're telling me! She practically sent me flying when I walked in here!" Her comment seemed to cause Rei to freeze.

Grandpa Hino shot a look at his granddaughter. "Rei, is this true?"

"I…" Rei stuttered. "I thought she was an evil spirit…"

"Rei Hino!" the old man snapped, startling Usagi. "How many times must I remind you that not every presence you detect is evil?"

"But Sensei!" The raven-haired girl defended herself. "You always taught me to trust my instincts above all else!"

"There is a difference between acting on instinct and acting on foolish impulses. The fact that you have still yet to hone your instincts makes me believe you are following the latter," Grandpa Hino chastised.

Rei clenched her fist. "Well maybe if you were a better teacher, I could have honed my instincts a long time ago!"

Her grandfather went silent. He was clearly hurt by this remark, and Rei quickly regretted what she said. However, she failed to make any attempt to apologize. Usagi just watched the argument, feeling a little awkward but also upset. She hated seeing people argue, especially people she knew were family.

Grandpa Hino turned to the blonde girl. "Miss Usagi, I'm sorry you had to see this." He then turned back to his granddaughter. "Rei, please show our guest out. It's almost time to get ready for my evening class."

Rei bowed solemnly. "Yes, Sensei." She began to walk towards the entrance, motioning for Usagi to follow her. She glanced back at her grandfather one more time, only to see him with his back to her and heading in the opposite direction. Rei opened the door for Usagi and led her out. "I really wish you hadn't brought that up," she said sternly.

"I didn't mean to make you two argue like that, I swear," Usagi apologized.

Rei sighed. "It's fine. There's no way you could have known how he would react."

"Why did he say all of that?" Usagi asked curiously. "I thought you were his top student."

"I am, at least in his self-defense classes." Rei lowered her head sadly. "But when it comes to my spiritual skills, he's right. I still have a long way to go. But I feel like if I don't interpret every presence as evil, it may come back to bite me one day."

Usagi smiled, hoping to bring up the girl's spirits. "Don't worry, Rei! As long as you believe in yourself, you'll be the most spiritual person in the world someday!"

Rei looked at Usagi as if she couldn't believe anyone would say that. "You're pretty thick-headed, aren't you?"

"Hey!" Usagi pouted. "Stop being so mean to me!"

Rei laughed a little, finding the girl's pout quite cute. She looked off into the distance and saw the sun going down. "You should probably go. People are going to start coming for my grandfather's evening Tai Chi class."

Usagi suddenly placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Go out with me tonight!"

"Wha…?" Rei blushed.

"My friend Ami and I are hanging out tonight. I'm sure she'd love to meet you!" Usagi beamed before turning and heading down the stairs, waving back at the dark-haired girl. "We'll come back and pick you up! See you later, Rei!"

Rei forced a laugh, scratching the back of her head as she did. "Please tell me she wasn't serious…" As Usagi reached the bottom of the stairs, Rei noticed someone coming back up the stairs. It was a man with long brown hair and a cheerful smile. Rei recognized him from her grandfather's class and bowed. "Welcome, Mr. Yuuichirou! You're awfully early today."

"I, uh… got off work early," he said slowly.

Rei smiled at the man. "Well, come on in. Sensei is starting his class soon. Hopefully the others can make it as well."

Mr. Yuuichirou simply nodded and continued into the dojo. As he passed Rei, she suddenly felt a tremendous pressure in her heart. She was detecting another presence, but this one was far stronger. The odd thing was that it seemed to be coming from Yuuichirou. He had never given off any vibes like this before, so why now? Rei was about to confront him, but her grandfather's words echoed in her head: "How many times must I remind you that not every presence you detect is evil?" In the end, she decided to ignore it and followed the man into the dojo.

Unbeknownst to anyone, towards the bottom of the hill, a dead body with its throat slit lay tucked behind a large tree. It was Mr. Yuuichirou.

* * *

"And you're absolutely sure she agreed?" Ami asked suspiciously. She had met up with Usagi after finishing cram school, eager to spend the evening hanging out with her beautiful friend and Luna. She did wish that it could have been just the two of them without the cat being there to act like their mother the whole time, but she didn't have the heart to tell her to go away. Besides, she still got to spend time with Usagi either way, and that was good enough for her. However, as soon as the two got together, Usagi brought up some other girl she had met that day named Rei Hino, and was now insisting that she had agreed to go with them.

"Of course!" Usagi chirped. "Trust me, you'll love her, Ami! She's pretty and kind, even though she was a little mean…" The blonde made a quick moe face before smiling again. "Plus, she can like… see evil spirits or something, like a psychic!"

Ami suppressed the urge to burst out laughing. "Ps-Psychic?" she said, covering her mouth with one hand in an attempt to hide her wide grin.

Usagi pouted. "What's so funny?"

"Usagi, you know there's no such thing as psychics or ESP or anything like that, right?" Ami asked, now giggling a little at the absurdity of what she was being told.

"I'm serious!" the golden-haired girl squealed. "Are you saying you still don't believe in that stuff even after everything we've been through so far?!"

Ami sighed and shook her head. "Please, the whole idea of evil spirits, let alone psychics, is completely unrealistic. It's all a bunch of simple tricks and nonsense. If anything, I think people who firmly believe they have those powers should be checked for mental problems."

"Wait Ami," Luna said, interjecting suddenly. "There might actually be something going on here." The black cat turned to the blonde girl tanning over her. "Usagi, you said she was about your age, right? And she can sense evil spirits?"

Usagi looked confused. "Yeah, that's what I said. Why?"

Luna sat down and stared at the ground, deep in thought. "I think we should pay this Rei girl a visit after all. If my memory is correct, which it always is, there was a member of the Sailor Soldiers who had the unique ability to detect evil spirits. She was the Princess' lookout, always warning her of approaching danger if it ever came near the Moon Kingdom."

"You're saying… you think Rei might be a Sailor Soldier?" Ami asked.

"It's only a hunch," Luna said. "But I think it's still something worth looking into."

Usagi leapt to her feet. "Then it's settled! We'll pick up Rei, ask her if she's a Sailor Soldier, and if she says yes, then we'll all be best friends and spend the weekend hanging out together! Oh boy, this gonna be fun!"

"Hold on Usagi, we should probably-" Ami was cut off by Usagi grabbing her hand, which never ceased to make her blush.

"Less talk time, more fun time!" Usagi squeaked happily, pulling Ami down the sidewalk. Luna watched the two go along, a huge bead of sweat forming on the side of her head.

"That girl is going to be the death of me…" she sighed before following after the two young girls.

* * *

Mamoru sat in his hospital bed reading a book. Even though he was injured, that was no excuse to fall behind on his studies. Plus, he had a girlfriend now, and he had to set a good example for her so she wouldn't end up like her ditzy bun-headed friend. Once the two of them were released, Mamoru planned to spend the whole weekend with her, or at least as much time as she wanted to.

Suddenly, the dark-haired boy felt a splitting pain in his head. He dropped the book and clasped his head in both hands, grunting to himself from the immense pain that seemed to be radiating from the center of his brain. Mamoru had been having headaches since last night due to his injuries, but they were few and in between, not to mention nearly painless. This felt like something was living in his brain and was trying to claw its way out. As the migraine got worse and worse, a deep, stoic voice called out to him from the recesses of his mind.

"Get up, Mamoru. She is in danger. We must protect her." No, it was him again! This damn voice had been controlling him for most of his life, but nobody could ever figure out where it came from or why it happened. He thought he could suppress it, make it go away, but in recent years it had actually become stronger, to the point where sometimes his body obeyed the voice, making him lose control of his actions. There were even times when he would black out and wake up in places he definitely didn't remember going to.

This time was no different. Mamoru could feel his body begin to respond to the voice's commands. He felt his face become relaxed and serious. His legs swung over the side of the bed and began walking towards the door. What was he doing? He couldn't leave yet! Where was this voice even taking him? And who was this 'her' it kept referring to? As all these questions raced through his head, he saw his vision begin to go fuzzy. No, it was another blackout! He fought to stay in control, to stop whoever or whatever this being was from taking over his life, but it was no use. As his vision slowly left him, he felt his hand touch the doorknob and begin to turn it.

Right when Mamoru felt himself fade away, he was suddenly snapped back to reality when he felt the door to the room get pulled open from the other side. A doctor stood before him, holding clipboard and staring at him with a firm look. "Were you about to sneak out again?" he asked. Mamoru thought he would be unable to respond, but he felt that he was now in control of his body once again. Both the voice and the headache were gone, and now the young man was left to himself to face the clearly frustrated doctor.

"Uh… no Doc, of course not!" he replied defensively. "I was just… stretching my legs!"

The doctor raised and eyebrow, clearly not believing the boy's story. However, he eventually sighed and decided to let it go. "Alright, but get back in bed now. You still have two hours before you're released."

"Yes sir, I understand." The doctor closed the door in front of Mamoru, allowing the boy to sigh in relief. He was a little embarrassed that the doctor had caught him trying to leave again, as he really hated getting on people's bad sides, but on the other hand he was happy that he had been stopped before the voice decided to play with his life again. Mamoru walked back over to his bed and climbed into it, opening his book and continuing to read. One day, he was going to figure all this out.

* * *

The lights in the Tai Chi dojo had been dimmed, with most of the room being lit by candle light. Dozens of people stood in the wide room, all simultaneously practicing the same movements. They all moved in perfect synchronization, as they had been practicing this warm-up routine for weeks and now had it down to near perfection. Rei was at the front of the group, moving her body slowly and fluidly into various positions that the others followed. While everyone in the room moved with relative smoothness, there was a certain grace and elegance to Rei's movements that the others simply didn't seem to have. It was almost like she wasn't even remembering practiced movements, but simply letting the movements come to her naturally, turning her body and raising her hands as if it were an instinct.

Grandpa Hino watched his granddaughter from the front of the room with a smile on his face. She was indeed the best student in the class. As a master of Tai Chi himself, he could clearly see where others were faltering, but Rei never missed a beat. He held up his hand suddenly, causing everyone to stop their movements and stand up straight. "Continue practicing this style for the next few minutes." He began to walk out of the room. "Excuse me, I must use the toilet. When I return, we will move on to meditations."

As the old man walked out, everyone couldn't help but chuckle a little. That was their Sensei for them; always serious except when he goofy. The laughter died down, and everyone began moving once again, with Rei in the lead of course.

The raven-haired girl was nervous. She knew that meditating was still something she needed to work at, and she was not looking forward to spending the next few hours practicing it. Rei's worries began to grow stronger and stronger, but at the same time, she began to feel strangely relaxed. Her muscles felt like they were going numb, and her movements started to become sloppy and off-key. What was going on? Why was she so tired all of a sudden? As she looked around the room, she noticed that several other people looked to be in a similar state of daze; their eyes half-closed and their movements losing grace. Some even began to fall to the ground unconscious. Slowly, Rei felt herself begin to fall as well. She struggled to wrap her head around the situation. Why was this happening? Was this some side effect of the exercise they were doing? It couldn't be, they had practiced this style many times before and nothing like this ever happened. As Rei dropped to her knees and began to keel forward, her eyes fell upon the one person who was still on their feet. Their hand was raised to the sky, and they appeared to be holding some sort of glowing black and purple sphere.

"Mister… Yuuichirou…?" was all she could get out before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Usagi pranced up the stairs to the Tai Chi dojo with a bright smile. She was eager to get to Rei join their little group, both as a new friend and as a possible Sailor Soldier. She looked down the flight of steps to see Ami struggling to climb them. The blue-haired girl was exhausted after being dragged several blocks by Usagi. Apparently she didn't have the incredible momentum and stamina Usagi had. Then again, she probably didn't have to make a mad dash to school every morning…

"C'mon, slow poke!" Usagi called out to her brainy friend. "The day won't stay young forever!" She turned and continued up the stairs, reaching the top in just a few bounds.

Ami continued to climb the stairs, her legs not being given a break even after walking for what seemed like hundreds of blocks. "I really hope this Rei girl is as nice as she sounds."

Luna came up behind Ami, finally catching up the the two. "If she turns out to be a Sailor Soldier, we'll have to get her on her good side one way or another." The cat looked up to Ami and smiled. "I've been very fortunate that you and Usagi have been willing to be a part of my mission. I would think most humans would be terrified by the idea of having to fight monsters."

Ami giggled. "Trust me, it is a little nerve-racking at times." The girl's eyes sparkled for a moment. "But as long as Usagi is with me, I'll never give up."

Luna was pleased with the girl's confidence. With Ami around to keep Usagi in check, perhaps there was hope for the world after all. She was about to respond to what Ami said, but the two were suddenly startled by a horrifying scream coming from the top of the hill.

"Usagi!" Ami cried, picking up her feet and sprinting the rest of the way up the stairs, followed quickly by Luna.

The two finally reached the top of the stairs and found Usagi standing in front of an open shoji door. She appeared staring at something inside the dimly-lit room, frozen with fear. Ami squinted into the dark room, hoping to find what had Usagi so spooked. As her vision adjusted, she finally noticed dozens of people lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious, with glowing tendrils seeping out of their bodies. Ami followed the tendrils' path to another shocking sight: a tall man with long, brown hair standing at the center of the room. He was holding a black and purple sphere over his head, which appeared to be the source of the glowing tendrils.

"It's a monster!" Luna shouted. "And he's stealing their energy!"

The brown-haired man ceased his energy-stealing and turned to face the intruders. "I take it you two are the Sailor Soldiers?" He grinned madly and began let out a gargling cackle. "Do not let my current appearance fool you. I will be your strongest opponent yet!" Like many of the monsters before him, the man's body began to contort and change, his clothes dissolving and new ones forming in their place. His skin became green and armor-plated, resembling an insect's exoskeleton. His eyes bugged out of their sockets and became large, shiny and orange. A pair of antennae also protruded from his head. His legs cracked and bent backwards at the base of his quadriceps, giving them three joints instead of just two. Finally, a pair of tibia appendages, resembling those of a praying mantis, stabbed out from the man's wrists and formed what could only be described as 'wrist blades.' His transformation now complete, the monster bared its teeth, which were now razor-sharp and needle-like. "My name is Mantis, and I will be the last face you ever see!" He got into a battle stance and aimed his body towards the two girls. "Prepare to experience the power of Bugman Karate!"

Usagi grinned to herself. "Karate, eh?" She sounded like she had a plan. "Well, two can play at that game!" The blonde girl whipped out her Disguise Pen and raised it above her head.

"MOON POWER! Change me into… A BLACK BELT IN KARATE!"

A brilliant pink light radiated from the crystal atop the Disguise Pen. It surrounded Usagi and caused her attire to dissolve and reform. When the light faded, Usagi was garbed in a traditional white karate outfit, complete with, as she requested, a black belt. She quickly mirrored Mantis' combat pose, albeit very sloppily. "Prepare to experience the power of… um… Sailor Karate!"

Luna looked panicked. "Usagi, wait! That's not how-"

The black cat was too late however, as Usagi charged toward the big green monster, screaming incoherent war cries like a certain famous nunchuck-wielding martial artist. As expected, Mantis wound up his leg and smashed his foot into the girl's torso, knocking her all the way back to where she started. Usagi clutched her stomach in pain, the wind having been knocked out of her.

Luna smacked her paw against her forehead. "The Disguise Pen changes your appearance! It doesn't give you any special powers like your brooch does!"

"Owww… I wish you would've told me that earlier Luna…" Usagi whined in pain. Ami reached down to the fallen girl and took her hand, helping her to her feet.

"C'mon, Usagi! Let's take this guy down for real!" Ami said confidently.

Usagi puffed out her chest bravely. "Right!"

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

Rei began to stir, her amethyst eyes opening slowly and her vision adjusting back to normal. As her mind cleared itself, everything began to come back to her: training, feeling drowsy, everyone collapsing, and Mr. Yuuichirou standing there with an evil smile on his face. She raised her head a little, looking around the room. She was surrounded by her classmates, who were all still unconscious. However, her gaze quickly caught onto a new, bizarre sight. Standing at the center of the room was a monster, one that looked like a cross between a man and a praying mantis. Then, she noticed a pair of figures standing in the doorway to the dojo. They were a pair of girls dressed in sailor uniforms, one with long, blonde hair done up in buns and pigtails, and the other with short, blue hair. It was the Sailor Soldiers! They were here to fight the monster! But then, as Rei focused, one of their presences felt similar to another person she had met earlier in the day. It was coming from Sailor Moon, and she felt exactly like that Usagi girl who had showed up the the dojo not too long ago. Could it be… was the reason she felt a supernatural presence from the girl because she had been Sailor Moon all along?

"Mantis!" Sailor Moon called out suddenly. "Taking the energy of people who are practicing to be awesome martial arts fighters is unforgivable!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

Even after the girls had finished striking their respective poses, Mantis remained still as a statue, still fixed in his fighting stance. "Are you going to keep talking, girls? Or are we going to fight?"

Ignoring the monster's taunt, Mercury tapped a button on her left earring, causing a blue visor to materialize over her eyes. The visor proceeded to scan the monster in front of her, with several holographic circles popping up over various areas on his body. "Usagi, this monster appears to have an armored exoskeleton, just like that of an insect," she whispered to her blonde comrade.

Sailor Moon looked nervous. "Okay, so then how do we hurt him?"

Ami adjusted her visor. "Well, if he really does have an exoskeleton, that should mean some areas on his body are exposed, likely his joint areas," the blue-haired girl explained. "I'll throw up a mist, then you run around and attack him from behind. Remember, aim for his joints."

"Right!" Sailor Moon said, nodding and bracing herself for battle.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Two shining blue spirals of water formed in both of Mercury's hands, summoning forth a dense cloud of mist that engulfed the room in seconds. Mantis was taken off guard by this, but he held his ground not breaking his stance for even a moment. He may not be able to see, but that was hardly the only sense he relied on. He could feel movement in the mist through his antennae, which vibrated with every disturbance in the air. Suddenly, they picked up movement from directly behind him. He whirled around and, with lightning-fast reflexes, caught an incoming kick from Sailor Moon that was aimed for the back of his neck. The blonde heroine gulped as her sneak attack was brought to a sudden halt. Mantis grinned maliciously at her as he tightened his grip on her foot.

"Sailor Moon!" Another voice came from in front of Mantis. He looked over and saw Sailor Mercury making a beeline for the two, clearly intent on saving her friend. Mantis was having none of it however. He swung Sailor Moon with all his might and threw her at Mercury, the two soldiers crashing into one another and flying across the room.

"You thought you could sneak up on me like that?" Mantis chuckled. "Bugman Karate has allowed me to hone my senses to their peak. You won't be able to touch me as long as I can move!" The monster stretched his right arm over to his left shoulder, fixing his eyes and antennae directly at the Sailor Soldiers.

"AIR SLICER!"

Mantis swung his arm in front of him, causing a thin blade, seemingly made of air, to fly forward form the tibia on his wrist. Moon and Mercury were barely able to get out of the way as the projectile blade flew directly at them. They managed to dodge it just in time, and the attack ended up slicing through the shoji window, leaving a gap in the wall and allowing the cool air of dusk to spill into the room.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara and threw it at Mantis, aiming for his joints like Ami had said. However, in a shocking display, the monster raised his arm and actually caught the golden disk on one of his tibia.

"No way…" Sailor Moon gasped.

Mantis hurled the tiara right back at its owner, lining it up perfectly with the girl's neck. The soldier of justice braced for the impact, but she was suddenly tackled to the floor by Sailor Mercury. The tiara flew over their heads and cut a second hole in the wall, before reappearing on Sailor moon's forehead.

"This dojo will be your final resting place, Sailor Soldiers!" Mantis announced. "It will be an honorable act to lay you to rest in such a sacred building, but nonetheless, you will die!"

"What did you say about my dojo?" a voice came suddenly.

Mantis looked over to where he heard the voice and saw a short old man standing at the edge of the room and scowling at him. "What do you want, old man?"

"I'll have you know that this is a place of life, not death!" Grandpa Hino spat. "Evil beings like you are not welcome here, especially when you threaten the lives of my students!" The old man raised his arms and got into a fighting stance, glaring at Mantis with a hateful look.

The bug monster simply laughed at the sight. "You really think you can defeat me? You're nothing but a frail old bag!"

Grandpa Hino narrowed his eyes. "An honorable fighter would never insult his opponent." The Tai Chi master ran at Mantis, raising both arms in knife-hands and lashing out at the monster. He aimed his open-handed strikes at Mantis' head, chest, stomach and shoulders, but every attack was blocked by the bug man's armor-plated arms. Moon and Mercury watched in amazement as the brave old man attacked the monster. His hand strikes were so precise, so fluid, and so strong for what appeared to be a small, weak old man. However, Mantis was simply too fast for him. None of Grandpa Hino's hits landed, all of them being blocked by the tall monster.

Tired of this scuffle, Mantis caught Grandpa Hino's next strike and drove his foot into the old man's stomach. The blow caused him to cough up a mouthful of saliva and lose all the air in his lungs. Mantis heaved the man over his shoulder and tossed him across the room onto his back. Grandpa Hino landed hard, the force of the fall not allowing him to draw in a breath. In the end, the old man lost consciousness.

Rei watched the horrific sight as her grandfather was beaten into submission. "Sensei!" she screamed as Tai Chi master landed on the ground and was knocked out. The raven-haired girl was shocked. Her grandfather had never lost a fight before, but this evil creature had taken him down in a matter of seconds! She prayed to the gods that he was not dead.

Mantis sneered. "You have some skills, old man, but you're no match for the power of Bugman Karate. Old timers like you need to learn your place and hang up your fighting gear permanently. Weaklings have no right challenging a superior fighter in the first place."

"Shut up!" someone snapped suddenly. Mantis looked over at the crowd of still unconscious Tai Chi students to see one of them rising to their feet at the front of the room. It was the raven-haired girl who had greeted him at the entrance. "How dare you call my grandfather weak! He's stronger than a monster like you will ever be!"

Mantis laughed. "Is that so? Then explain I was able to defeat him so easily. That old man should retire before he ends up killing himself."

Rei narrowed her eyes. "I said shut up!" She got into a fighting stance similar to her grandfather's. "I'll show you how strong his training has made me!"

"You're going to fight me too?" Mantis asked, almost curiously. "Do all humans have a death wish?"

"The only one who will be dying today is you!" Rei shouted, her voice full of anger and passion. Suddenly, a blinding red light appeared at the top of the girl's forehead and filled the room. Mantis shielded his eyes, and so did Sailor Moon and Mercury. Luna kept her eyes fixed on the girl, however, and noticed what the source of the light was: on her forehead was the unmistakable symbol for the planet Mars.

"I was right!" Luna said, smiling with confidence. "Rei, catch!"

The young Tai Chi student turned around to see a small object flying towards her. She did as she was told and caught the object, and, looking down at it, saw that it was a red pen with a golden cap and a small gold ring on top.

"Hold that pen up to the sky and say 'Mars Power, Make Up!'" Luna instructed the girl.

Rei wasn't sure why her head was glowing, or what this pen was, or why a cat was talking to her. But what she did know was that this monster that hurt and mocked her grandfather had to be stopped. Through every thought of determination, she felt a calling in the back of her mind. It felt similar to when she detected a presence, but this time there was no presence; only a voice that told her exactly what she needed to do.

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

Using the pen, Rei drew the symbol for Mars in the air in front of her, then reached out and touched it. Immediately, several rings of fire encircled her arms, legs and torso, before closing around her and squeezing her body. Despite the rings being made of fire, she felt no pain whatsoever, but she did feel a heat that burned through her muscles and filled her with adrenaline. As the fire dissipated, Rei found herself now dressed in a red and white sailor uniform, complete with red high heels on her feet, white gloves on her arms, and a golden tiara on her forehead.

Sailor Moon couldn't believe what she saw. "Rei.. you're a Sailor Soldier?"

"Yes," Luna replied for her. "She is the third member of the Princess' royal guard: Sailor Mars!"

"Now there are three…" Mantis growled.

Rei glared at the monster with passionate, hate-filled amethyst eyes. "I guess there are!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"HA!" Mantis cackled. "It doesn't matter who you are! Sailor Soldier or not, you're still weaker than me!" The half-insect man struck another fighting stance. "Now you will experience the true essence of Bugman Karate! Your chances of survival are ZERO!"

Mantis was hardly able to finish his sentence when he found Sailor Mars suddenly standing only a few feet in front of him. "Temple…" she whispered before landing a chop on the side of the monster's head. Mantis was unprepared for the attack, causing him to stumble backwards. It felt like an axe had struck his head! How was this girl strong enough to hurt him through his armored skin?! "Diaphragm!" Mars shouted as she smashed her palm into Mantis' chest, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Now he was pissed! Mantis lunged forward and stabbed at Mars' throat with his tibia, but the soldier of passion sidestepped and avoided his assault. "Shoulder!" The girl raised her hand and chopped down on the monster's shoulder, the pressure of the blow knocking him to his knees. Sailor Mars proceeded to flip over Mantis so she was in front of him. The monster had no time to react as the girl unleashed a deadly combo on his head. "Throat! Ears! Eyes!" True to her words, Mars stabbed a knife hand into his throat, followed by a double-chop to his ears, and finally a pair of fingers into his eyes. Mantis was now is tremendous pain. He couldn't see or hear and could barely breathe. No matter… this girl was going to die one way or another!

The bug man got to his feet and raised his arm again. "Die, you little bitch!"

"AIR SLIC-"

"Spine!" Mars interrupted Mantis' attack. After blinding him, she maneuvered herself back behind him and now stabbed her knuckles into the center of his back. Suddenly, the monster was unable to move.

"Wha… what did you do to me?" Mantis stuttered.

"I've hit a pressure point in your spine," Mars responded calmly, yet snarky. "You're not going anywhere until I say so." She raised her hand and cupped it, a fireball forming in her grasp.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Sailor Mars threw the fireball with all her might, sending it smashing into Mantis' armor plating. However, said armor did little to protect the bug man. The fire found its way between the gaps in his plated body, scorching his outer layer of muscle before melting the skin beneath his armor and cooking his internal organs. Mantis let out a final screech of agony before he was turned into a blazing pile of ashes.

Rei looked down at the smoldering ashes almost with pity. "And I say you're going to hell."

* * *

Red and blue lights flashed outside the Hino Dojo. The police had arrived, accompanied by a couple ambulances to ensure the well-being of all the Tai Chi students. The body of the real Mr. Yuuichirou had been discovered as well and was now being hauled away by an ambulance. Grandpa Hino sat on the steps to the dojo, a gauze pad held to his head with bandages, but other than that he was relatively unharmed. As he sat there thinking about what had happened tonight, he was approached by his raven-haired granddaughter.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Rei said with a faint smile on her face.

Grandpa Hino simply patted the concrete next to him. "Sit down, child."

Rei looked nervous, but did as she was told and sat next to her grandfather. "Sensei, I want you to know that I'm so sorry for what I said to you today. I didn't mean a word of it, I swear."

"You don't have to apologize," the old man said softly. "I understand that what I said may have upset you."

"But I had no right to call you a bad teacher!" Rei cried. "If anything, I'm a bad student. Sometimes… I wonder how you can love me with how mean I can be…"

Grandpa Hino placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rei, just because there are times when you are not my best student, it does not mean I love you any less. You are my beloved granddaughter, forever and always."

Rei smiled brightly and pulled her grandfather into a hug, tears brimming on the edge of her eyes. "I love you too, Sensei."

"You know you don't have to keep calling me that," the old man laughed.

"Hey, Rei!" a cheerful voice called out. The two looked over and saw Usagi and Ami approaching.

"I'll leave you to speak with your new friends," Grandpa Hino said with a wink. He stood up and walked back to the dojo, ready to do some explaining to the authorities.

Usagi skipped over to Rei, followed by Ami and Luna. "You were so cool out there! Like absolutely amazingly incredible!" the blonde girl chirped.

"You most certainly were, Rei," Luna said, backing up Usagi's compliment. "It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Sailor Soldiers."

Rei raised an eyebrow and gave a sarcastic half-smile. "So… I really did hear you talk? I thought I was still delirious or something."

Ami giggled. "Trust me, you're going to see a lot of rather unusual things now that you're with us."

"I still have so many questions…" Rei said. "Why do I have these powers? Where are all these monsters coming from? And why do we have to fight them?"

Luna held up her paw. "I will be able to explain all in due time." She turned to Usagi. "Right now, it's getting late, and the gods know you need your sleep, Usagi."

The blonde girl pouted. "Oh, c'mon Luna! I'm not tired at-" She was cut of by a huge, sudden yawn that looked as if it might break her jaw. She quickly covered her mouth and looked back at Luna defensively.

Rei laughed. "You're not subtle at all, Bun-Head."

Usagi's eyes went wide and she looked sadly at Rei. "Noooo! Not you too!"

"What? You do have buns in your hair after all," Rei said with a playful grin. "Although, I would recommend you get rid of the pigtails. They made me think you were a demon back when you arrived at the dojo."

"Reiiii! Why are you so mean to me?!" Usagi wailed.

* * *

Jadeite collapsed to the floor, his body still sparking with dark energy bolts. Queen Metalia had called him in with Kunzite, only for her to torture him just like she had in front of Nephrite and Zoisite. Jadeite looked up at his older brother in agony, but the silver-haired man did not look back. Even so, Jadeite could see the regretful expression on his face.

"I told you what would happen if you failed again, and I kept my word," Queen Metalia hissed. "I hope you understand that this will continue if you do not rectify your failures."

Kunzite placed a hand over is chest. "I understand, my Queen…" His voice trailed off at the end.

"Get out of my sight, both of you!" the evil ruler roared at her subjects.

Kunzite slung his brother's arm over his shoulder and carried him out of the room, the blonde man wincing with every step he took. "You just had to go and fail, didn't you?"

"You must forgive me, brother," Kunzite said sadly. "I don't know why she's decided to take this course of action."

Jadeite laughed maniacally at this. "You really don't get it, do you?!" He kept laughing and shook his head, as if disappointed. "And I thought you were smarter than that. It's times like this that make me wonder how you're still loyal to her."

Kunzite froze and glared at Jadeite. "Do not ever bring my loyalty to the Queen into question!" he said in a sort of loud whisper. "My allegiance to her cause is undying!"

Jadeite continue laughing, as if going mad. "Are you so loyal to her that you'd watch your own brother get tortured? I really hate you, you know that?!" He kept laughing for several seconds before finally collapsing into Kunzite's arms, unconscious.

Kunzite sighed. "And I hate you too… sometimes." He picked up his younger brother and began carrying him to his barracks. "Tomorrow is another day…" he thought to himself.

~A Suivre~


	6. Sins of the Father

Here is chapter 6! Apologies for how late this one is, but then again I said my updates would be sporadic at best, did I not? Anyway, this is a Rei focused chapter, and like Ami, it will set up her relationship with her family. I hope I'm doing these caharacters justice so far! Rei is one of my favorite characters and I'm having a ton of fun writing her, so let me know what you all think! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 6: Sins of the Father

Saturday was always a busy day for the mall. Kids were off school, adults were off work, and everyone wanted to take advantage of the one day of the week they were granted unlimited freedom. Thus, they flocked to the place where all the best stores, restaurants, and arcades were located. Usagi was no exception to this crowd. There wasn't a being in the universe that could deny that she was a raging shopaholic. The blonde bun-headed girl made it a habit to spend nearly every Saturday at the mall; she bought all the latest fashion, tried all the newest fast food menu items, and played all the most popular arcade games (of course, she always ended up complaining that it wasn't the same without Motoki there to encourage her). It ended up costing her parents a great deal of money, to the point where they began to insist that Usagi get a job of her own. The girl would always promise that she would, but after a whole year she still never scheduled a single interview. "Next week, I promise!" she would say following a lecture from her parents, to which they would roll their eyes.

Usagi had originally planned to come to the mall with Naru, but of course Mamoru felt the need to intervene once again, this time going so far as to become Naru's boyfriend. Luckily, Naru wasn't the only BFF Usagi had now. Ami had gladly decided to go along with her to the mall, despite the place not really being her scene, and, somehow, Rei had begrudgingly agreed to accompany them.

* * *

"Please Rei! It'll be really fun!" Usagi whined.

"I'd rather not spend my day surrounded by people who only think about shopping and have no sense of personal space," Rei said sternly. "I'm not going, and that's my final decision."

"But Rei! We're friends now, and friendship is the most important thing in the world!" Usagi rose her fist to the sky. "Every moment we spend together will strengthen our friendship, and the stronger we are as friends, the stronger we'll be as Sailor Soldiers! If we become the best friends in the whole wide world, the Dark Kingdom won't stand a cha-"

"Alright, fine! I'll go, I'll go!" Rei shouted, feeling as if her ears were about to explode. "Just… Kami-sama, stop saying the word 'friends!' It sounds weird now that you've said it so much!"

* * *

Usagi smiled as she reminisced about convincing Rei to come along. Whether it inspired people or annoyed them into submission, friendship speeches always worked wonders. Now that the three of them were together, it was time for a day of shopping!

"Hey Usagi, can we go to that book store on the other side of the mall?" Ami asked.

Usagi was about to answer, but she felt her stomach begin to growl violently. "Sure, but only if we stop for food on the way there!" the blonde girl said.

Ami raised and eyebrow and smiled faintly. "But the first thing we did when we got here was eat…"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind stopping." The two girls looked behind them and saw Rei staring back with a frown. Her arms were loaded with shopping bags from at least ten different stores. "I really need to put these down for awhile."

"But Rei, you said you would carry my bags for me!" Usagi chirped.

Rei's frown deepened. "No, what you said was 'Hey Rei! Can you hold onto these for a second?' and I said 'No problem, Usagi!' The next thing I know, I become your personal coat rack for the next half hour!"

"Aw, but Rei!" Usagi whined. "I can't hold all those bags myself! You're the strongest one here, so you should have no problem carrying them around." She smiled at the end of her sentence, only to have Rei throw every single one of the bags she was carrying at the young blonde, knocking her to the floor.

"If you want to buy everything in the store, learn to carry your own load, Bun-Head!" Rei said before marching off ahead with Ami.

"Guys, come back! I can't get up!" Usagi cried from beneath the pile of shopping bags.

A few moment later, the four girls were sitting at a table in the mall's food court. Ami was sipping away at a bottle of water, while Rei nibbled at a box of rice she'd gotten from a nearby Chinese carry-out restaurant. Usagi, despite being the one who wanted to stop for food, didn't have a bite to eat. She was still panting heavily from having to drag all her shopping bags halfway across the mall, claiming she wasn't hungry anymore by the time she caught up with her two friends.

"Maybe you wouldn't have so much trouble carrying your bags if you didn't eat all that ice cream earlier," Rei chastised.

Usagi scowled. "Hey! Don't tell me not to eat ice cream! Ice cream is the greatest food in the whole wide world!"

Ami shook her head. "You need to learn to incorporate healthy foods into your diet, Usagi. You don't want to get cavities, do you?"

"Too late, Ami. At this point her teeth are probably so yellow that traffic slows down when she smiles," Rei said, trying not to giggle at her own joke.

"Reiiii! Why are you so mean to me?!" Usagi was about to start whining again, but suddenly Luna poked her head out of Usagi's purse.

"Alright girls, that's enough," she said, hopping onto the table.

"Luna?" Ami said, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were here."

"I've been napping in Usagi's purse, until her crying woke me up." This comment generated a disapproving glare from the blonde girl. "Anyway, the reason I came along is that I have something to give you all." The cat stuck her head back into Usagi's purse and came back out with three strange watch-looking devices in her mouth, which she dropped on the table in from of the girls. "These are communicators. Now that you three are a team, you're going to need a way to reach each other at any point in time, as we never know when the Dark Kingdom will strike next."

Usagi quickly snatched the one with a pink chain and strapped it on. "Wow! So cute! It's like having a second phone!"

Luna sighed. "They're not toys, Usagi, Make sure you only use them for relaying information to the others or for emergencies."

Ami strapped on the communicator with a blue chain and inspected it. "Quite an intricate piece of technology. Would you mind if I took it apart and looked at it back home? Just out of curiosity…" she added shyly at the end.

"Sorry, but I'd rather you not," Luna apologized. "My boss put a lot of work into making these, and he can be quite irritable when his stuff gets tampered with."

Rei strapped her communicator to her wrist. Of course, it had a red chain. "So… how do we use them, Luna?"

"Just press the button on the side and speak into it. The conversation should be transmitted to all three devices," the black cat instructed.

A mischievous grin crept across Usagi's face. "Hey Rei, put yours up to your ear!" she said playfully.

Rei was confused as to why she would use the communicator when she was right here, but nonetheless she raised the device to her ear. This was a mistake…

"WOOOOOOOO!" Usagi cheered into her own communicator. Rei felt as if a hot knife had been stabbed into her eardrum. Her eyes went wide and she jerked the communicator away from her head. Even after it was over, the raven-haired girl was left with a ringing in her ear. "Hahaha! Gotcha, ReiRei!" The laughing blonde was suddenly silenced by Rei's jabbing two fingers into a pressure point on her neck. Usagi immediately went limp and slumped forward onto the table, temporarily paralyzed.

"Don't prank me like that, and don't call me ReiRei," the young martial artist said sternly.

Luna pawed at Usagi's arm. "I told you that it's not a toy, Usagi!"

Usagi's eyes were now a pair of spirals. Her head laid on the table and she began drooling. "Why can't I feel my everything?" she mumbled.

Ami looked at Rei disapprovingly. "Was that really necessary? She was only playing around."

Rei was about to answer when she felt a presence. For a brief moment, she thought it might be a monster, until the presence began to feel familiar. Her amethyst eyes darted around the food court, looking for anyone or anything that could be causing this feeling. Eventually, she caught the eye of someone who appeared to be staring at her, but he turned away as soon as she saw him. However, Rei didn't need to get a good look at his face to know who he was, and that knowledge caused a fiery rage to start growing in her heart.

"Rei? What's wrong?" Ami asked, concerned.

Rei abruptly stood up and began walking away. "I'm sorry, I… I just remembered I have somewhere to be…" the young girl stormed off down the mall, bumping into several people on her way, but not stopping.

Ami looked confused. She glanced around to see what may have gotten Rei so riled up, but nothing looked out of the ordinary to her. Maybe something really had just come up for her.

"Rei! Wait up!" Usagi suddenly said and took off after her friend, apparently having recovered from her paralysis. Just as she was nearly out of the food court, she stopped and ran back to the table, picking up all of her shopping bags. "Ami, can you take Luna back to my house? Thanks!" she said, not waiting for an answer. With that, the bun-headed girl ran after Rei once again, slower this time due to being weighed down by the bags of clothes she now carried.

Luna's head drooped. "Well, I don't feel neglected at all…" she said sarcastically.

Ami smiled. "That's Usagi for you; always looking out for her friends."

"I just hope she doesn't do anything to annoy Rei," the black cat sighed.

* * *

The monster barracks were wild today. Two large, muscular beasts had gotten into a fight, and the others were delighting in cheering them on, encouraging them to kill one another. The first monster, a beast with a bulldog's head and huge, bulky arms, but tiny, scrawny legs, had his opponent's throat in his hands. The other monster, a creature with an ox's head wearing gladiator armor, was struggling to free himself from the bulldog's grasp. Finally, the ox monster managed to kick his opponent off of him and free his neck. He proceeded to pick up his weapon, a giant double-sided axe, and raise it over the bulldog monster. Just as the other monsters roared for him to finish it, the door to the barracks suddenly swung open. They all immediately stood at attention, expecting to see their master Kunzite entering. However, upon seeing Jadeite walking in, they all began snickering and snarling.

"Well, well, well…" the bulldog monster said, getting back on his feet. "If it isn't the misfit of the Dark Knights!" He proceeded to walk over to the short blonde man on his knuckles, his legs apparently too small and weak to support his massive upper body. "Have you come here with a death wish?" The bulldog smiled down at Jadeite with a sharp, toothy grimace.

Jadeite looked up at the monster and returned the smile. "Actually, I've come here to recruit one of you something I need."

Every monster in the barracks immediately burst out laughing. The sound, which could be compared to a symphony of wild animals, could probably be heard all throughout the castle. The bulldog monster widened his grin and bent over so that he towered over Jadeite. "You've got some nerve asking anything of us!"

"I'm not asking," Jadeite chuckled, his eyes showing a strange mix of arrogance and worry. "I'm ordering."

The bulldog was no longer smiling. He gritted his sharp teeth and snarled madly, drool slobbering from his lips. The monster raised a single muscular arm, which was about the size of Jadeite himself. Just when it looked like the knight was about to be squashed, a gnarled, taloned hand reached out from the shadows and grabbed onto the bulldog's ear. True to his appearance, the monster began whining like a dog, lowering his arm and becoming incredibly submissive. It seemed his ears were a weak point. The bulldog looked over to see who had pinned him, and his eyes went wide.

"L-L-Lady Blackwing…!" he whimpered weakly.

A new monster stepped out from the shadows, still holding onto the bulldog's ear. She had the body of a woman, and a very sultry woman at that, talons on her hands and feet like those of a hawk, and, as her name suggested, a pair of huge black raven wings sporting from her back. "You dare to lay a hand on my dear Jadeite?!" she hissed.

The bulldog looked at her with pleading eyes. "N-No! I would never!"

Lady Blackwing held up the monster in her clutches and looked to the other monsters. "Do you remember what I said would happen to anyone who dares threaten Jadeite?"

The ox monster stepped forward. "Pain and despair awaits, m'lady!" he said nervously.

The raven lady smiled seductively at the ox. "Good boy…"

The ox monster blushed lightly and lowered his head. Lady Blackwing then proceeded to throw the bulldog at the ox, the two colliding and falling to the hard stone floor. With those two out of the way, she turned back to Jadeite.

"So, Jadey Boy… I heard you need someone for a job?" Blackwing batted her eyes at her crush and stroked his chest.

Jadeite backed up, a little embarrassed, but went on with his request. "I have been working with a human for some time on a special operation of mine. However, I have recently come to suspect that he has been stepping out of line. I'd like you to locate him and… send him a message." He winked at her with that last statement.

Lady Blackwing smiled devilishly. "Of course, love. Anything for you. And I can use any means necessary to deliver this… message?"

"As long as you don't kill him. This human is imperative to my plan," Jadeite said, a little firm this time.

"And what would this human's name be?" Blackwing asked, raising an eyebrow in a flirtatious manner.

* * *

Rei walked briskly down the street, not stopping since she had stood up at the food court. She felt bad for leaving Usagi and Ami behind, but she needed some time to herself. The person she saw caused something to stir inside of her, and she would hate to take her anger out on her new friends. Even though Usagi was annoying, she didn't deserve the wrath that this person incurred in her heart. The raven-haired girl saw the entrance to her grandfather's dojo, where she planned to spend the rest of the night meditating, or at least trying to. Meditation was still something she had to work on, especially when she was in a mood like this.

"Rei!" a high-pitched voice came from behind her. She turned around to see Usagi approaching, sweating and panting, likely from having to carry all her bags all this way. "Geez, I forgot how far out of town you live!" she said, gasping for breath.

"So you followed me home again?" Rei asked.

Usagi continued panting like a dog. "Yeah… but it was really hard with all these bags-"

"That was a rhetorical question," Rei interrupted. "Look, I'm sorry I left so suddenly, but please go away. I… I need to be alone right now."

Usagi lowered her shopping bags and looked worriedly at her friend. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Rei paused for a moment. "I saw my father at the food court."

"Is that bad?" the blonde asked curiously.

"Yes it's bad!" Rei said, raising her voice suddenly. "He's the sorriest excuse for a father I've ever seen! He…" She stopped herself. "Wait, why am I telling you this? This is none of your business!" she shouted at Usagi before turning and stomping up the steps to the dojo.

Usagi looked sad. "You don't have to be so mean about it…"

Rei turned around and glared at Usagi, her eyes blazing with anger. "I'm the one being mean?! Don't you think that butting into someone's life and pressing them about something personal is a little mean? Do you ever think about other people's feelings? Kami-sama, do you even think at all?!"

Usagi's eyes were now filled with tears. Rei's outburst was clearly too much for her. She fell to her knees and began wailing like a baby. "WAAAAAHHHH!"

Rei quickly dropped her angry demeanor, her eyes now full of regret. "Usagi, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I just…" She was not adept to dealing with hurting someone's feelings. Instead of coming up with an apology, she simply turned tail and ran the rest of the way up the steps, hating herself all the way.

Usagi eventually calmed down, but by that time Rei was already at the top of the stairs. There was no stopping her now. The blonde gathered her bearings, as well as her shopping bags, and stood up, ready to begin the long and somber trek home.

* * *

Grandpa Hino sat cross-legged in the middle of the training room, surrounded by candles with all the lights off. He had been meditating for the past few hours and had finally gotten his mind to calm. It felt as if there were nothing around him; it was just him, his soul, and the universe. The old man was truly at peace. That is, until his granddaughter threw open the shoji doors that made up the entrance and let the evening sunlight pour into the dark room. Grandpa Hino squeezed his eyes shut, trying to adjust to the sudden presence of light. It took him a few seconds to realize Rei was even there.

"Rei! What is the meaning of this?" he snapped. "You have interrupted my meditations!"

Rei struggled to find her words. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean… ugh!" She never finished her sentence, instead choosing to walk frantically across the room towards the hallway that led to her bedroom. However, her grandfather quickly stood up and grabbed her arm.

"What's the matter, my child?" he asked calmly. "Your chi is incredibly unbalanced."

"I…" she began. "I just got into a fight with one of my friends, that's all."

Grandpa Hino sighed. "Ah… well I'm sure whatever happened between you two can easily be resolved. Just give your friend time to think, and approach her when the time is right."

Rei put in a fake smiled. "Yeah, sure…" Her smile disappeared in mere seconds. "Actually, that's not the only thing, Sensei. I saw… I saw _him_ today."

Her grandfather narrowed his eyes. "Him?" The old man began clenching his fist. "That man has no right to be in your life…"

Seeing her grandfather beginning to get uncharacteristically angry, Rei knelt down and hugged the shorter man. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you riled up. But please don't be mad. I already hurt Usagi because of him. Please don't make the same mistake I did."

Grandpa Hino returned the hug. "Forgive me, child. Now I see what has you so out of shape." He broke the hug, but kept his hands on Rei's shoulders. "Go to your room and practice meditating. I believe this may be the best time to do so."

Rei looked concerned. "But Sensei, won't my anger disturb my thoughts? I mean… don't I need a clear conscience to meditate?"

The old man shook his head and smiled. "Meditation does not result from a clear mind. It is meant to help us clear our minds in the first place. Perhaps you should remember that when you practice from now on."

Rei was taken aback. She wasn't used to getting advice outside of classes, but what her grandfather said made everything seem so obvious now that he pointed it out. It was true; she had always assumed that meditation required one's mind to be clear from the start, but now her Sensei was telling her that she could only achieve a clear mind through meditation. What an idiot she'd been…

The young martial artist stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Sensei. I will definitely remember that." Grandpa Hino bowed back, and then Rei walked out of the room and toward her bedroom. She still felt anger from seeing her father, but with her grandfather's new advice, she felt confident that she could clear these hateful thoughts from her mind. More than anything, she wished to reconcile with Usagi, but that would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Usagi finally made it back home after what felt like an eternity. She had carried ten whole shoppings bags of clothes for nearly twenty blocks, but even all of that work wasn't what was weighing her down. This was the first time she had seen Rei truly angry at something, but she never would've expected to receive the full front of that anger. How could anyone hate their father so much that it caused them to lash out at their friends? Was it even possible for a father to be that bad? They were supposed to love and look after their daughters, after all. She wanted to ask Rei more questions, but that probably couldn't happen for awhile.

"Oh, hi Usagi! Glad to see you're home!" Speak of the Devil. There was Usagi's father, Mr. Tsukino, sitting in the living room flipping through channels on the TV.

Usagi's face lit up. "Hi daddy! You sure are home early."

"Well, it is steak night after all, and your mother and I love cooking it together!" the man said, calling out to the kitchen at the end.

"More like it's the one thing I can't make on my own," responded Mrs. Tsukino from the kitchen. "I never know the right amount of seasoning to put on!"

Mr. Tsukino laughed. "But I can never cook it right! It always comes out too raw or too dry."

Usagi let out a giggle. "You're both hopeless," she said playfully.

"Careful, young lady!" Mr. Tsukino said in mock irritation. "One day you're going to have to learn to cook for yourself."

"And we don't mean just cookies and ice cream," her mom interjected.

"Moooom!" Usagi whined. "Why is everyone always on me about that?!" The blonde girl suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw her dad smiling down at her.

"Don't worry, honey. As long as you're my daughter, you can have all the treats you want," he whispered with a wink.

Usagi beamed and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. As she embraced her incredibly tall dad, she couldn't help but wonder: how could anyone truly hate their father?

* * *

Rei sat at the center of her bedroom. She had turned off all the lights, closed all the windows, and lit several candles; the perfect environment for meditation. All she had to do now was relax and let go of the world. She closed her eyes, steadied her breathing, and let her thoughts flow from her mind. There wasn't a sight, a sound, or a presence that could disturb her now. Of course, as soon as she entered her mind, the thought of her father came back. He just had to invade her life even when she was trying to meditate! No, she couldn't let the mere thought of him do that. She just had to stay calm, take deep breaths, and let all her worries disappear.

Within a few minutes, she had forgotten all about her dad. In fact, she had completely forgotten all about the world around her. It felt like she was now sitting in a wide open field with a cool breeze to her back. Then, as she drifted further into her peaceful state, she felt like she was sitting on a cloud, floating steadily through the air. The pure serenity of the state she was in now seemed to cause her body to dissolve, leaving behind only her spirit. And now, it was just her spirit drifting through an empty void. At last, she was alone. Rei began to experience new feelings, unlike anything she had felt before. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat, feel the blood coursing through her veins, and feel the very air particles around her coming into contact with her skin.

Suddenly, off in the distance, she saw something. No, she felt something. It was… a person. He was standing at the edge of the void, just a dot at the peak of Rei's vision. He felt very faint at first, likely due to how detached Rei was at this point, but nonetheless, he was there. And then, he began moving closer. And closer. The figure, the man, was now flying towards her like a bullet. Rei was terrified. She wanted to run away, but she couldn't move. She could only sit there, completely paralyzed, as the man got bigger, and bigger, and BIGGER…

Rei snapped out of her meditative state, panting like she had just run a marathon. It felt like she had just woken up from a nightmare. She looked around her room and saw that she was still alone. But that man she saw… he felt so real, so close… Rei suddenly felt compelled to look out her window. She ran over to the curtains and threw them open, looking around the hill surrounding the dojo. Lo and behold, behind a nearby tree, she saw a man dressed in a black suit and tie staring up at her window. As soon as he saw that Rei had spotted him, he took off running down the hill and towards the street. Rei saw he was heading for a car.

"Oh no you don't, you bastard!" Rei whispered angrily to herself. She quickly slid her window open and leapt out of it, landing on the branch of a tree. She dropped down to the ground, landing in a deep crouch as to not break her legs. Thankfully, the drop only resulted in a brief discomfort in the bottom of her feet. She dashed after the escaping man as fast as her legs could carry her. All those kicks she did in her grandfather's Tai Chi classes seemed to be paying off, as she caught up with the man in no time and grabbed him by his shirt collar. She spun him around and glared at him with hate-filled eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing, dad?!"

To Rei's surprise, the man she now held by his neck was not her father. After seeing him at the mall, she had expected him to be tailing her all day, but now it was just one of his stupid agents. She held the man by his collar and practically lifted him into the air. "Who are you and why are you watching me?"

"Y-Your father sent me! He told me to… to keep an eye on you!" the man said, clearly frightened by how fierce the young girl was.

Rei sneered. Was her father really so high-strung that he had to send an agent to watch over his daughter instead of doing it himself? "Well, you go back to that office of his an tell him that I don't need him or anyone keeping an eye on me! Tell that asshole to stay out of my life for good!"

She released the man and backed away, remembering that she needed to breathe in between sentences. As Rei stood there panting, the man stared at her, dumbfounded. He now believed that this girl really didn't need to be watched. If her demeanor alone could scare someone as big and strong as him, she could probably handle herself.

"Get out of here…" Rei growled before turning around and heading back up the steps towards the dojo. She felt relieved knowing that her message would finally be delivered. Maybe now her dad would understand that his daughter didn't want nor need him in her life anymore. She smiled at the thought of never seeing or hearing from him again. That was a day she was looking forward to…

Rei was startled by the piercing sound of a loud screech coming from high up in the sky. She and the man looked up and saw a dark shape careening towards them. Before either of them could react, a monster with the body of a woman and the wings and talons of a raven swooped down and grabbed the man, hauling him off into the sky. Rei tried to run after them, but the two were already far out of her reach. She could hear the man screaming in terror, only to be drowned out by the angry screech of the monster.

"Dammit!" Rei snapped. Where the hell did that thing come from? No, that didn't matter right now. That man was in danger and it was her job as a Sailor Soldier to save him. She brought her new communicator up to her mouth and turned it on. "Usagi! Ami! This is Rei. A monster just abducted someone off the street in front of my dojo. I need you to transform and help me save him right now!"

Usagi's voice came on. "Awww, but Rei! It's after midnight!"

"Not kidding, Bun-Head! Get out here now!" Rei shouted into the device. She wondered if any passerby would think she was crazy for yelling at seemingly nothing.

"Wait, how will we know where to find you?" Ami's voice asked. That was a good question. Rei thought about it for a moment. She didn't know where the monster was going, so how would either of her fellow Soldiers know where to meet up?

"Everyone, the communicators are also equipped with tracking systems! You can use those to find each other," Luna said from what sounded like Usagi's line.

"Don't you think you should've told us that earlier, Luna?" Usagi criticized.

Rei rolled her eyes. "This is no time to argue! Wherever I end up is probably where I'm fighting the monster. Just get there as soon as you can!" She lowered her communicator, reached into her pocket and took out her Transformation Pen.

"MARS POWER, MAKE UP!"

* * *

Lady Blackwing flew low over a gravely rooftop, dropping the man halfway across and causing him to come to a rough, rolling stop. The raven woman flapped her wings one last time before gracefully touching down on the roof, then began stalking over to the terrified man, who was trying desperately to crawl to safety. Lady Blackwing quickly planted a taloned foot on the man's back, pinning him to the gravel-covered roof.

"So I take it you're the one Jadeite wants?" Blackwing hissed. "I'll never understand his fascination with humans. You're a disgusting, cowardly race."

The man looked up at her with scared and confused eyes. "J-Jadeite? Who's Jadeite?"

The monster snarled and pressed her talons into his back, not hard enough to pierce the skin, but enough to cause tremendous pain. The poor man cried out in agony. "Don't play dumb with me, human! Jadeite told me I would find you following that girl, and I did. Now, listen to me carefully…"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the man screamed. "I swear! Please just.. let me go!"

Lady Blackwing had enough. She dug her talons into his back, ripping through his black suit and stabbing into his skin, drawing a small amount of blood. The man let out another pained scream. "I was told not to kill you, but he never said I couldn't leave you just shy of death! Now shut up and listen!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

Before Lady Blackwing could continue, she saw a bright red glow out of the corner of her eye. She looked up just in time to see a fireball barreling towards her. Luckily, she managed to spring off the downed man and take to the air, narrowly avoiding getting cooked.

"Who did that?!" Blackwing hissed. She looked around the rooftop until her gaze met a pair of amethyst eyes glaring back at her. At the very edge of the roof stood a young girl in a red and white sailor outfit. The girl's hand was still smoking, letting the monster know just who threw that fireball at her. "A Sailor Soldier…"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"And I would just love to see you try!" The raven lady screeched before diving straight at Mars. She reached out with her taloned hand, trying to skewer the girl in one fell swoop, but Mars was too quick. The Soldier of Fire sidestepped and grabbed the monster's talon, stopping her dead in her tracks. She proceeded to flip Blackwing over her shoulder and toss her across the roof, the monster landing several yards away.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Mars hurled another fireball at Lady Blackwing, but she managed to leap out of the way just in time. She then flicked one of her wings at Sailor Mars, sending a single black feather flying at the Soldier. Mars just narrowly avoided the feather, but her arm still got clipped, leaving behind a thin cut.

"Damn, those things are sharp!" Mars exclaimed. She looked back towards her adversary, but found that the raven woman had disappeared. Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her midsection, and then she felt herself being lifted high into the air. Lady Blackwing had somehow managed to sneak up behind her and was now flying into the air with her. Once the two were about thirty feet above the roof, Lady Blackwing raised Mars over her head and threw her back down towards the roof. The Soldier of Passion began to panic. There was no way she could survive a fall like this!

In the blink of an eye, Mars felt another pair of arms around her body. Before she knew it she had landed safely back on the roof, now being held bridal-style by none other than Sailor Moon. The blonde soldier smiled cheerfully at her. "Need a hand, my fiery princess?"

Mars looked up at Moon with sparkling eyes. It felt weird being saved by another girl, but the way Usagi held her and that quip she just made almost made her seem like a prince. Wait… what the heck was she talking about? Usagi, a prince? Her, a princess?! A wave of repulsion washed over the raven-haired girl.

"Let go, Bun-Head!" Mars said firmly, squirming out of Moon's hold and tumbling onto the gravely roof.

"Geez Rei, I just saved you! Could I at least get a 'thank you?'" Sailor Moon whined.

From above, Lady Blackwing screeched down at them. "So Sailor Moon, you've decided to join us! Let's play!" She reared back, preparing to throw more of her sharp black feathers at the two soldiers.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Before Blackwing could attack, she was surrounded by a thick, cold mist, obscuring her vision and making it difficult to move. Moon and Mars looked up at the cloud of mist that now hovered over them, only to turn their attention back to the roof when a new figure entered the fray. It was none other than Sailor Mercury.

"No offense, but you two need to learn to watch your backs," Mercury said, raising her finger and speaking in a lecturing tone.

Mars rolled her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind."

"How do we stop her, Ami?" Sailor Moon asked urgently.

Mercury looked up towards the mist cloud and pressed her earring, forming the blue visor over her eyes. It scanned Lady Blackwing's form through the mist, causing numerous lines of data and numbers to drape across the screen, followed by two circles appearing over the monster's wings. "It looks like her wings are her strongest weapon. However… they're so big a target, they could also be her biggest weakness!"

"So we need to cut them off?" Sailor Mars asked. "No problem!"

Before any of them could act, Mercury's mist attack dispersed, as Blackwing had blown it away with her wings. She let out an angry screech and dove straight at the three soldiers. All three managed to jump out of the way, leaving Blackwing to smash her taloned feet into the rooftop, turning many of the pebbles that covered it to dust. "Damn you!" she hissed. The raven woman began spinning like a ballerina, sending dozens of her sharp feathers flying in all directions. Moon, Mercury, and Mars ducked and dove in all directions, trying to avoid the projectiles. They received several small cuts in the fray, but nothing too serious. The agent that had been abducted by Blackwing pressed himself low to the ground, praying that none of the feathers would hit him.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara and threw the glowing golden disk at Lady Blackwing, aiming it at her wings. The monster saw the attack coming, however, and used her wings to propel herself into the air, easily dodging the tiara. "She's too fast! I can't hit her!" Sailor Moon cried in frustration. Just then, she saw that Blackwing had thrown three more sharp feathers at her, and they were approaching rapidly.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars shouted. She watched in horror as the feathers headed straight for her blonde friend, who seemed to be paralyzed with fear. The Soldier of Fire dashed towards Sailor Moon, but she slowly realized that she wasn't going to make it in time.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes, bracing for the pain that was surely to come. Instead, she felt a light gust of wind brush up against her, and when she looked up she saw a long piece of black fabric waving in front of her, Blackwing's feathers sticking out of it. The Soldier of Love looked up with ecstatic eyes and saw Tuxedo Mask standing above her and holding his cape in front of her protectively.

"Tuxedo Mask! You came back!" she cried with joy.

The handsome man smiled down at her. "Apologies, Sailor Moon. I've been a little preoccupied lately."

Sailor Moon stood up and grasped the man's arm. "I don't care! You saved me again! You really are my hero!"

Sailor Mercury watched as Moon showered Tuxedo Mask with affection and admiration. She was overjoyed to see her friend was okay, but the blue-haired girl felt a sting of jealousy in her heart at the sight of Usagi fawning over the tuxedo-clad man.

"Dammit! You won't stop me again!" Lady Blackwing screeched. She reared her wing back, ready to throw another barrage of feathers at the blond girl and her savior. Suddenly, the monster felt something grab her wing and hold it back, preventing her from using her attack. She turned around and saw Sailor Mars holding onto her wing with one hand. Her eyes were filled with a passionate rage.

"You're starting to piss me off…" Mars said in a scarily calm tone.

Lady Blackwing snarled viciously. She raised her taloned hand, ready to slice Sailor Mars into ribbons, but she was stunned when the Soldier of Passion stabbed a knife-hand into her ribs. Mars followed this up with a leg sweep that knocked the monster off balance, followed by a chop to her throat, slamming her into the roof. Mars raised her hand, ready to strike again, but Blackwing pulled her leg back and kicked out at the raven-haired girl, knocking her back several yards.

The raven woman struggled to her feet, baring her teeth in anger. "I won't fail… you may fight for justice or whatever, but I fight for love!" She reared back her wings again, preparing to launch her feathers at Sailor Mars. "Jadeite, my master, my love, I swear I will not fail you!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Sailor Mercury called out her attack, but instead of standing back and spraying the mist at Lady Blackwing, she grabbed onto the monster's wings, pressing the water spirals against them. The icy cold mist spread over the feathers and the skin underneath, freezing the wings down to the bone. Suddenly, Lady Blackwing couldn't move them anymore.

"No! What have you done?!" Blackwing whirled around and slashed her talons at Mercury, but the Soldier of Wisdom jumped back just in time.

"I froze her wings!" Mercury called out to her comrades. "Destroy them now!"

Hearing this, Tuxedo Mask took out his cane and ran at Lady Blackwing, smashing his weapon into her frozen wings and shattering them. The monster let out a terrified screech of pain and dropped to her knees, reaching up and clawing at her back, which was now burning with pain. "Now! Finish her off, girls!" Tuxedo Mask shouted to the soldiers.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars each sent forth their respective attacks. The fireball enveloped the razor-sharp disc in mid air, turning the attack into a spinning blade of fire. Lady Blackwing was in too much pain to react at all, and was quickly torn in half by the blazing boomerang attack. She let out a final cry of agony before crumbling into a pile of ashes.

Sailor Mars let out a deep sigh or relief. That creep was really getting on her nerves. If her dad and his crony weren't enough trouble, she just had to show up and make her day even worse. Oh well, at least she was dead now.

"Reiiii!" Sailor Moon collided with Mars and pulled her into a tight hug. "That was so cool, the way we combined our attacks like that! We should do that next time too!"

Sailor Mars was confused. "Aren't you still mad at me? I mean, after how I acted…"

"Of course I'm not mad at you!" Moon chirped. "After all, we're BFF's now, ReiRei!"

Mars grabbed one of the blonde girl's pigtails and yanked, generating a yelp from the girl. "What did I say about calling me ReiRei?" she said sternly.

"Guys!" Sailor Mercury called out. Moon and Mars looked over to see her kneeling next to the agent and holding his wrist. The two rushed over to her side. "He's alive, but unconscious. I can't tell if he passed out from the shock of the situation or if he's already lost that much blood," she said, gesturing to the puncture marks on his back, courtesy of Lady Blackwing's talons.

"I'll take him to the hospital," Tuxedo Mask said, now standing over the man as well. He crouched down and picked the man up gently, trying not to aggravate his wounds.

"You're so brave!" Sailor Moon said, her eyes shaped like hearts. Mercury felt like an arrow had pierced her heart at those words.

"Thank you, Tuxedo Mask," Mars said, nodding at the man. "Without you, Sailor Moon might have been killed."

Tuxedo Mask smiled. "All in a day's work." He turned to go, but looked back one more time, giving the girls a thumbs-up. "I look forward to continue fighting by your side, Sailor Soldiers." With that, he leapt off the edge of the roof and landed on the next building over, still carrying the unconscious agent. He continued off into the night until the three girls couldn't see him anymore.

"He's so cool!" Sailor Moon said, still fangirling over her 'hero.'

"I wonder who he really is," Sailor Mars said, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Speaking of wondering, would you mind telling us why you ran off earlier today?" Mercury spoke up. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I'd just like to know."

Rei was about to decline, but she noticed a sad look in Usagi's eyes. She owed the girl this much for the way she treated her back at the dojo. "My father is the worst person I've ever known in my life," she began. "I used to love him, I really did." She paused. Her voice seemed to break a little at the end of that sentence. "But about two years ago, he became a monster. He shut me out of his life because his company had apparently made a major breakthrough. All of a sudden, his work became more important than his family. He didn't come to my martial arts classes or even any of my birthdays. Even when…" She paused again. Usagi and Ami could hear the anger building in her voice. "Even when my mother was diagnosed with cancer, he didn't show his pathetic face!" Rei was in a full-blown rage now. "She was dying, and he just abandoned her! On the day she was supposed to die, he called me and said he would come see her, but he never did! He just stayed at work while his wife died and I was left crying over her lifeless body!" Rei's face was red now and she was breathing rapidly. Usagi took a step towards her, but Ami placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. After a few moments, Rei's breathing steadied and she began to calm down. "I haven't heard a word from him since that day, and I hope it stays that way. I'm living with my grandfather now, and he's the one I consider my father." Rei looked at her friends. "If that man we saved tonight had been my real father, I would've let that monster do whatever she wanted with him."

Usagi quickly took Rei's hand and squeezed it. "No, Rei! You don't mean that!"

"I do!" Rei said, pulling her hand away. "Look Usagi, I'm sorry I yelled at you today. I had no right to throw all my anger at you. But I meant what I said just now. I hate my father, and I'll never forgive him for abandoning me and my mother."

Usagi looked at Rei sadly, but said nothing else. Instead, she pulled the raven-haired girl into another hug, which Rei returned. Ami watched the two embrace from a distance. She was suddenly a lot happier with the relationship she had with her mother.

* * *

"JADEITE!" Kunzite had spotted his brother down a long hallway and began stomping towards him. The shorter blonde man simply stood there with an innocent smile on his face. "What happened to Lady Blackwing? I had an assignment for her, but when I went to the barracks, my monsters told me you had already sent her on one!"

Jadeite chuckled. "Ah… well, you see Kunzite, I had a job for her to do as well. However, I asked her first, so tough luck!"

"What did you ask her? And why hasn't she returned yet?!" Kunzite demanded.

"Well, you see, I had a certain… inequity that needed to be rectified," Jadeite said in a diplomatic tone. "Unfortunately, due to my recent injuries, I could not carry out the task myself, so I sent Lady Blackwing instead. As for where she is…" He leaned in and whispered into Kunzite's ear. "Let's just say she got caught between a rock and a hard place… and a couple Sailor Soldiers."

Kunzite immediately grabbed his brother by the collar and lifted him into the air. "You idiot! Not only did you employ one of my monsters without permission, but now she's dead because of your stupidity!"

"Oh, calm down, brother," Jadeite chastised. "If you're so mad, then why don't you hit me?"

Without giving it a second thought, Kunzite slammed his fist into Jadeite's face, sending the blonde man reeling and stumbling to the ground. As Kunzite came down from his rage, he looked down at his little brother with deep regret. Jadeite looked up the the silver-haired knight, cupping his now bruised cheek.

"You… you actually hit me," Jadeite said quietly. "You never hit me!"

Kunzite reached out to the fallen man. "I-I'm sorry. I was just angry, I-" He was cut off by the sound of Jadeite beginning to laugh.

"You actually hit me!" Jadeite cried before cracking up like a madman. His laugh echoed throughout the castle's halls. "You're just full of surprises, big brother!"

As Jadeite continued to laugh maniacally, Kunzite turned around and walked away briskly, his brother's cackle still echoing behind him. He looked down at his still clenched fist as he walked. He had never struck Jadeite before… no matter how much he got on his nerves, he had promised himself that he would never stoop to the level of harming his own flesh and blood. So why had he done this? Jadeite had been through enough lately with Queen Metalia torturing him. Was the pressure of failing his great ruler finally getting to him? Kunzite shook his head. He couldn't do that. He couldn't allow his emotions to get the best of him. The time for failures was over.

~A Suivre~


	7. Masquerade Ball

Here is chapter 7! You all should know what goes down in this chapter, if you've read the manga/watched the anime. Of course, I am changing a few things up, but it's more or less the same. The biggest change you'll probably notice will be towards the end. I won't spoil anything, but let's just say it's something even Naoko Takeuchi herself regrets writing. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7: Masquerade Ball

"Crud, crud, crud, CRUD!" Usagi repeated over and over as she sprinted down the sidewalk towards school. No surprise, but she was late again.

Luna followed behind her, carrying a small bag in her mouth. "Usagi, wait up! You forgot your lunch!"

"I can survive one day without a lunch!" Usagi shouted back at the cat, not slowing down even for a second.

"You and I both know that's a lie!" Luna said, trying desperately to keep pace with the blonde.

As Usagi and Luna moved along at what they felt like was the speed of sound, they were suddenly outpaced by several cars driving by. There were two police cars, followed by a long white limo, and then two more police cars. Usagi came to a stop, but Luna failed to slow herself in time and crashed into the back of Usagi's leg.

"What the heck was that?" the blonde said in wonder. "It must be someone really important! Maybe there's a celebrity in town…" Off in the distance, the school bells rang, sending Usagi into a panic. "Eeek! That was the morning bell!" She reached down and picked up Luna, who was still dazed after colliding with Usagi. "C'mon Luna, this is no time for a nap!" She tucked the black cat under her arm and practically blasted off the pavement, running to school as fast as her petite legs could go.

* * *

Usagi now sat hunched over at her desk, her head resting on her arms. Above her, Ms. Sakurada was doing her usual routine of lecturing Usagi on being late and how her tardiness would start affecting her grades. The bun-headed girl had heard it all so many times before, but it never ceased to make her pull the sad puppy dog face.

"Don't give me that look, young lady!" Sakurada snapped. "You have no one to blame but yourself here! If this ever happens again, your parents are going to hear from me!" She turned around and marched back over to her desk, leaving Usagi depressed and dejected.

"I wish I didn't have to start every day like this…" she whined. "Please, something cool happen to cheer me up…"

"Hey Usagi!" a cheerful voice called from across the classroom. Usagi saw her friend Naru waving at her with her phone in her hand. "Come check this out! It's so cool!"

The blonde girl stood up and bounded over to her redheaded friend. Naru showed her a news article on her phone, which read 'Princess D Comes to Tokyo! Lavish Ball will be held in Her Honor!' Usagi just stared blankly at the screen. "Um… who's Princess D?"

Naru's eyes went wide. "Are you serious?! She's the heir to the Queen of the D Kingdom, one of the wealthiest countries in the world! She's practically a celebrity!"

Usagi looked down at the picture of the Princess. She had on what looked like three-inch thick glasses. "She looks kinda funny with those glasses."

"Hey, don't you disrespect her!" Naru said, waving her finger disapprovingly. "If you don't believe me, look at this! They're holding a huge masquerade ball to honor her presence in Tokyo! All the richest people in the city are going to be there!"

Usagi was about to respond, but someone suddenly bumped into her. "Sounds quite extravagant. This princess must be a big deal after all." Usagi begrudgingly recognized the voice. Mamoru Chiba was back again.

"Why don't you go back to the hospital?!" Usagi nagged. "School was so much more fun when you weren't around!"

Naru looked sad. "But… Usagi, I wasn't here either."

Usagi quickly turned around and took her friends hand. "Oh, of course I didn't mean I wish you weren't here either! I couldn't get through a single day while you were gone!" She turned back to Mamoru and glared at him. "It's this jerk I wish would go away for good!" She unconsciously squeezed Naru's hand and caused her to yelp in pain.

Mamoru just smiled warmly, as he always did when Usagi insulted him. He walked over to Naru and put an arm around her. "Well, Naru couldn't be released until I was. It's almost like destiny is keeping us together or something," he chuckled.

Naru blushed. "Yeah… destiny…"

"GAAAH! Will you stop that?!"

Mamoru and Naru raised an eyebrow. "Stop what?" they said in sync, causing the two of them to blush again.

"That! Stop acting so lovey-dovey! I absolutely despise the fact that you two are going out, but at the same time you're so adorable together that it makes me want to support your relationship, even though I don't support your relationship because I really really don't like you Mamoru Chiba!" She took a deep breath before continuing. "Ugh! I don't even know what I'm saying anymore!"

"Well, at least we can agree on that," Mamoru said before looking down to Naru. "So, m'lady, would you care to accompany me to the masquerade ball tonight?"

Nari's eyes lit up. "Really?" She was about to accept, but then her expression faded. "Actually, we can't go. You need an invitation to attend the ball."

"An invitation, huh?" Mamoru said, sounding genuinely sad. "Oh well, maybe we can do something else then." He smiled again. "How about we go for a walk in the park tonight?"

"At night?" Naru said, her enthusiasm returning. "You're so romantic, Mamoru!"

Usagi squirmed uncomfortably. She honestly couldn't decide if she loved or hated seeing these two together.

* * *

Ami's were fixed on a screen, where pixels flashed and moved at lightning-fast speeds. She had been called to the arcade by Luna for a 'Sailor Soldier meeting,' as the cat had put it, but the nerdy girl now found herself playing the Sailor V video game, which Usagi had gotten her addicted to. She held all the high scores on the leaderboard. Arcade attendees had admired her for this at first, but soon began to grow jealous of her skills. Even Motoki only allowed her to play for a short period of time now, as to not risk her taking another position on the leaderboard.

"Having fun there?"

Ami looked up and saw Rei standing next to her, wearing a casual sleeveless turtleneck and jeans. "Oh, Rei, you're here." She gestured to the Sailor V game. "Would you like to try?"

Rei shook her head. "Nah, I'm not a video game person. I've never played one in my life."

"C'mon, it's a lot of fun," Ami insisted. "You never know…"

The raven-haired girl sighed, but eventually sat down and paced her hands on the controls. The Sailor V sprite appeared on the screen, and Rei was off. Within a few minutes, she had beaten Level 1. "Huh, that wasn't so bad…" After many combos, button-mashes, and flashing numbers, Rei found herself unable to stop. In fact, she found herself smiling.

"Hey, great job! You're on the leaderboard!" Ami congratulated. Rei's name was indeed on the leaderboard, but only in 8th place. All the scores above her belonged to Ami, of course. "Not bad for your first try!" the blue-haired girl said, holding up both her hands.

Rei was a little confused by this gesture, but quickly realized she was attempting a high-five. She slowly raised her own hands and slapped them together with Ami's, causing the other girl to smile. Rei didn't usually give out high-fives, not even to her Tai Chi classmates, but she didn't want to admit that to Ami.

"Heyooo! I'm here!" a high-pitched voice rang from the front of the arcade. Ami and Rei looked over and saw Usagi standing there, with Luna at her feet.

Rei narrowed her eyes. "You're late, Bun-Head."

Usagi simply grinned at her. "Well, looks like you've been having fun in the meantime!" Realizing she was referring to her playing the video game, Rei quickly stood up and crossed her arms, causing Usagi to giggle.

Luna hopped up onto the Sailor V game. "I'm glad you all could make it. I'll start this meeting by reminding you of our mission. Usagi, do you remember it?"

"Of course I do! We're looking for… um… uh…" she stuttered.

"We're looking for the other Soldiers and the Moon Princess," Ami interjected.

"We're looking for the other Soldiers and the Moon Princess!" Usagi repeated loudly.

Luna sighed. "Correct, Usagi."

"Wait, why do we need to find the Moon Princess?" Rei asked. "We're not supposed to serve her or anything, are we?"

"No, but you are supposed to protect her. That is your duty as Sailor Soldiers," Luna informed. "She is the only one with the power to seal away the Dark Kingdom, and therefore we cannot let them get to her first." She turned back to the others. "It has come to my attention that a princess is actually visiting your city right now. After researching her and her reputation, I believe there is a chance she could be the Moon Princess we are looking for."

Usagi beamed. "You mean Princess D?"

Luna looked curiously at her. "How did you know that?"

"Naru told me! It was all over the news this morning!" she explained. "I even saw her arriving this morning is a big fancy limo!"

"Luna, you think she could be the Moon Princess?" Ami asked.

"Isn't that kind of assuming that all princesses could be the Moon Princess?" Rei said sarcastically.

Luna shook her head. "No, but I just have a strong feeling that Princess D is her. The only way we can know for sure is if we go to that masquerade ball and meet her."

"That's easier said than done. You need and invitation to get in there," Ami said.

Suddenly, Usagi chimed in, bearing a mischievous grin. "Fear not! I just got a genius idea for how we can get in!"

Rei glanced at her. "I doubt that…" she muttered.

"Normally I'd agree with you, Rei, but we're short on options here." The black cat turned to Usagi. "What's your plan?"

Though it seemed impossible, Usagi's smile grew wider. "You'll just have to wait and see! It's a surprise!"

"Usagi…" Luna began.

Ami's phone suddenly went off. She looked at it and jumped to her feet. "Actually, the plan's going to have to wait after all. I have cram school right now!"

Rei got up as well. "And I have a Tai Chi class in a half hour."

"It seems like everyone's busy right now. Very well, we'll all meet up at the ball tonight. Hopefully whatever Usagi's plan is will go over well," Luna said, sounding a little unsure.

Usagi just smiled and flashed a V-sign over her eyes. "Don't you worry! This plan will be the best plan in the history of plans!"

* * *

Kunzite entered Queen Metalia's chamber, taking a knee in front of the glass sphere that held her essence. "Your majesty, you summoned me?"

"I did. I have a new task for you, Kunzite," the dark essence whispered. "Someone who goes by the name 'Princess D' is visiting Tokyo as we speak, and tonight she will be hosting a grand ball. I want you to go there and abduct her."

Kunzite's eyes widened. "You want me to abduct her?"

"Yes. I have reason to suspect that she could be the long lost Princess of the Moon Kingdom, and having her in my clutches would be most beneficial to my plan. Not to mention the vast energy she must possess…" Metalia spoke softly.

"Forgive me, my Queen, but I was referring to the fact that you want me to go there personally. That's what you meant?" Kunzite asked.

The Queen's essence froze. "That is what I meant. I believe this assignment is too important for any of your pathetic monsters to carry out. Therefore, I want you to go there yourself. Is that clear?"

Kunzite stood up and saluted Metalia, smiling a little as he did. "Of course, your majesty! And this time I won't let you down!"

"You had better not. This is by far the most important mission I've sent you on in centuries. I expect this to be your penance for the failure you've brought back these past few weeks," Queen Metalia hissed.

"You can count on me, my Queen! And if the Sailor Soldiers interfere, I swear that I will crush them!" The silver-haired man clenched his fist as he finished his sentence. He then proceeded to back out of the room and shut the heavy marble doors. Kunzite could barely contain his excitement. This was his chance to redeem himself! To return to the Queen's good graces! But more importantly, he thought, it would be the end of Jadeite's suffering…

* * *

"I'm hooome!" Usagi called out as she slipped her shoes off in the foyer. "What's for sup-sup tonight?" As she entered the dining room she saw her father standing near the table, adjusting a long black tie around his neck.

"Oh, Usagi! Welcome home!" he said cheerily. "Sorry, but you're on your own for dinner tonight. Your mother got called in for work and I have a ball to attend." As he finished putting on the tie, he picked up a royal blue mask with hawk feathers attached to it.

Usagi's eyes widened. "Wait, YOU'RE going to Princess D's masquerade ball?!"

"Of course! I am a member of the press after all!" He strapped a large camera around his neck. "My boss expects me to get some great shots of the guests and the royal family, and I'd never deny him a front page picture!"

"Lucky!" Usagi pouted. "I wish I could go to the ball!"

Luna pawed at the blonde girl's leg and whispered to her so that her dad wouldn't notice her talking. "Um, Usagi, didn't you say you had a plan to-"

Before she could finish, Usagi reached down and clamped her hand over the cat's mouth, shutting her up. "Like I was saying, I wish I could to to the ball!" She was clearly faking her whining now.

Mr. Tsukino walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry, Usa. Someday you'll be old enough to go to a fancy ball like this. You'll get to wear a beautiful dress and dance with the most handsome man you've ever met!"

Usagi looked up at her dad with her signature puppy dog eyes. "You mean that, daddy?"

"I know you will!" he insisted. "It'll be just like all those fairy tales I read to you when you were little."

The small blonde girl pulled her tall dad into a tight hug. "You're the best, daddy! I love more than anything in the whole wide world!"

Mr. Tsukino patted his daughter's head. "And your mother too, right?"

"Oh, of course! I love you both equally!" Usagi corrected herself.

Her father simply chuckled. "I know, honey. And I love you too." He let go of the blonde girl and began to walk out the door. "I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures to show you later!" he said before making his exit.

"Bye-bye! Have a good time!" Usagi waved at him until he was out the door.

Luna looked confused. "So, what happened to that plan you said you had?"

"Don't worry! I haven't forgotten about it, and it's still gonna be the greatest plan ever!" Usagi chirped.

"Alright, so what is this 'brilliant plan' of yours?" the black cat asked, sounding a little agitated.

Usagi grinned like a giddy fangirl and whipped out her Disguise Pen. "Just you watch, Luna!"

"MOON POWER! Change me into… A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS!"

* * *

It was a beautiful night in Tokyo. The skies were clear with not a cloud in sight, the stars were visible as far as the eye could see, and the Moon shined nearly as bright as the Sun. It was the perfect night for a ball. Wealthy people from all over the city gathered at Tokyo Grand Ballroom, where Princess D was hosting her lavish masquerade ball. People arrived in limos, expensive luxury cars, and party buses; women wore glamorous ball gowns in all lengths, colors, and styles, complete with sparkling necklaces, ring and bracelets, while men wore dashing penguin suits with colorful ties, shiny cufflinks, and stylish leather dress shoes. Of course, the one thing that the men and women shared in terms of attire was their masks. They all wore exotic masquerade masks that came in many colors, some studded with diamonds and other jewels, while others were lined with feathers from hawks, ostriches, and peacocks.

Ami and Rei stood outside the entrance to the ballroom, keeping their eyes on the front gates where everyone was entering. The gates were guarded by several big, strong men in black suits. The girls could tell they were tough since they were wearing sunglasses at night.

"This plan Usagi has better go over well," Rei said. "Because I do not want to pick a fight with those guys."

"I would like to avoid a confrontation as well," Ami agreed. She then turned to look at Rei's attire. "I must admit, you look quite lovely in that dress."

Rei blushed and looked away, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. She wore a long, elegant dress, red of course, that was tight around her midsection but became very flowy below her waist. She also wore a pair of red high heels, much like the ones she wore as Sailor Mars. "For the record, I absolutely despise dresses. Taking this out of my closet made me want to violently vomit up my internal organs."

Ami giggled. " But… weren't you wearing a skirt yesterday?"

"That's just casual clothes!" Rei defended herself. "Fancy dresses like this make me feel like a self-absorbed rich person…" She paused. "...like my father."

"Oh… I see," Ami said shyly. Both girls were suddenly surrounded by an aura of awkwardness. Thankfully, it was broken by the click-click-click of approaching high-heeled feet.

"Hi guys!" Usagi chirped. Ami and Rei looked at her, and immediately their eyes went as wide as dinner plates. Usagi was dressed in a long, extremely poofy pink princess dress that was covered in flowers and ribbons. She also had on a pair of heels, long, white gloves, and a silver gem-studded tiara. If not for her buns and pigtails, her two friends couldn't have recognized her.

Ami was in heaven. "Usagi, you look… well, you look…" she stuttered.

"Yes, Ami?" Usagi cooed, batting her eyes at the blue-haired girl.

Ami blushed profusely. "You look positively radiant!" she said loudly. The golden-haired girl looked like an angel out here in the moonlight. This was too much.

"I think you look like a big walking strawberry," Rei injected snobbishly.

"Why thank you, ReiRei! I guess that just means I look really sweet!" Usagi said with a wink. Rei just rolled her eyes.

Luna poked her head out of Usagi's purse. "Alright, Usagi. Time to put your master plan into motion."

"Right! Follow me, guys!" the blonde said before walking daintily towards the front gates. Ami and Rei followed her nervously, not knowing what to expect.

The three made it to the gates, only to be stopped by two of the big men in suits. "Invitations, please?" Rei and Ami grew even more nervous, but Usagi just stepped up to them and confidently puffed out her chest.

"Excuse me! I'll have you know that I am the great Princess Serena! And these are my two servants, Lady Mizuno and Mistress Hino."

The two other girls' jaws were on the floor, and Luna was repeatedly slapping her own face in Usagi's purse. Was she serious? Did she actually think they were going to fall for something so ridiculous?

"I'm sorry, Miss, but we still need to see an invitation," one guard said calmly.

Usagi got up in the man's face. "Princess D has personally requested for me to be at this ball! Shall I tell her that you were unwilling to let me in?!" She put on her best angry face and dug her pointer finger into the man's chest. He looked incredibly scared by the little girl.

"Uh… no, of course not! Go right on in, Miss Serena!" He gestured for the three to enter.

"PRINCESS Serena!" Usagi snapped as she walked past the guards, followed quickly by Ami and Rei.

"That is by far the dumbest thing you've ever done," Rei said. "But it worked, so I guess I can't complain…"

Ami smiled at her blonde friend. "You're acting skills are incredible, Usagi! He actually looked scared."

Usagi grinned brightly and flashed a V-sign. "I told you my plan was brilliant!" She yelped when Rei suddenly pulled on one of her pigtails.

"But don't ever call me your servant again!" she chastised. "Next time, I'm the princess and you're the servant, got it?"

"Reiiii! Why are you so mean to me?!" Usagi whined.

* * *

The interior of the ballroom was truly a sight to behold. The walls and floor were marble, giant crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and a live orchestra sat at the front of the room, playing elegant dance tunes that sounded like they were from the Victorian era. Dozens of guests lined the dance look, whirling and twirling to the heavenly music.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" Usagi beamed. "I feel like I'm in Cinderella!"

Ami rubbed her arm. "I just hope no one asks me to dance…"

"I'm with you on that, sister," Rei agreed. "I bet half of those guys out there are only dancing with women hoping they'll get some… 'favors' later tonight."

"Geez Rei, you're a real mood killer, you know that?" Usagi pouted. "I hope I get to meet a really handsome guy tonight! Maybe it'll be love at first sight…"

Luna peeked out of Usagi's purse again. "C'mon Usagi, let's not forget why we're here. We need to find Princess D, find a way to earn her trust, and then find out if she's the Moon Princess."

"Oh, right, of course," Usagi sighed. "Sailor Soldiers, Mission Start!" The blonde girl suddenly clutched her stomach, feeling it growl violently. "...Right after I find the snack table."

"Didn't you eat dinner before we came here?!" Luna asked, sounding frustrated.

"Yeah, but all that thinking that went into my plan has made me hungry all over again!" Usagi groaned.

Rei raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "So… thinking makes you hungry?" She facepalmed herself. "Sometimes I wonder how you function at all…" The raven-haired girl was caught off guard when Usagi suddenly tossed her purse at her.

"Start the mission without me! I just need to fill my belly really quick!" With that, Usagi picked up her dress and headed off into the crowd of guests in search of food.

"Usagi!" Ami started to chase after her, but Rei grabbed her shoulder.

"I'll think we'll get this mission done a lot faster without her," she said, shaking her head.

Ami looked disappointed, but nodded her head in agreement. The two girls went off in their own direction to search for the Princess' room.

* * *

Mr. Tsukino took picture after picture of the dancing guests. "Usagi is going to love these!" he smiled. "Of course, she'll probably make me buy one of these dresses for her when she sees them…"

Out of the order of his eye, the man spotted a woman in a long, puffy pink dress pushing her way through the crowd. What stuck out the most was the way her hair was done up: a pair of buns and long pigtails.

"She looks just like Usagi…" Mr. Tsukino thought it might actually be her, but then shook his head. "I guess that hairstyle is just popular these days." He continued to watch the woman, picturing his daughter in her shoes. "I wonder if Usagi will grow up to be that beautiful one day…" Soon enough, the golden-haired woman was out of sight, and Mr. Tsukino went back to taking pictures. "Now to get one of the Princess! Wherever she is…"

* * *

After much aimless wandering, Usagi finally came upon a food table, lined with all kinds of fancy delicacies. Usagi drooled over the sight, unable to even name certain foods she saw. Nonetheless, they looked delicious, and that was all the hungry blonde needed to know! She quickly went to town, picking up a plate and taking one of everything from the various platters. She could almost be described as a thief with how much she was taking. Unfortunately, her incessant need for food made her lose sight of her surroundings, and she ended up bumping into a snooty-looking old woman in a long black dress. To make matters worse, the woman had been holding a champagne glass, and the drink was now spilled all over the skirt of Usagi's dress.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Usagi said, bowing to the woman.

"Watch where you're going!" the old woman said in a heavy foreign accent. She then turned around, chin held high, and walked briskly away from Usagi.

"Are all rich people that rude?" Usagi wondered. Her eyes then wandered down to her dress, and her eyes went wide at the sight of the spill. "Oh no! My dress! It's ruined!"

Even though the spill was barely noticable to anyone else, Usagi ran off in a panic looking for a place to clean it up. "Bathroom… bathroom… why is everything so hard to find here?!"

* * *

Naru sat on the park bench, all alone in the middle of the grass and tree-filled area. It was getting late now, and Mamoru had said he would meet her at nine o'clock. So where was he?

"I really hope he didn't blow me off…" Naru said, the worry apparent in her voice. She looked left, then right, but still no sign of the dark-haired boy. She checked her phone, but saw no new messages. "No, he's not that kind of guy. He would let me know if something came up…"

A cool night breeze came along, causing Naru to wrap herself up in her sweater. She felt so lonely without him, as if a part of her that he had filled was suddenly stripped from her. The stranger thing was that it felt like she had felt this heartbreaking sensation before.

* * *

Usagi found herself standing on a balcony outside the ballroom. She had no idea how she ended up there, though one could say it was the result of more aimless wandering. She was now inspecting her dress, whimpering over how ruined it was.

"I'm such an idiot!" She looked back at the guests in the ballroom, frowning at how much fun it looked like they were having. "No fair! Why does they one night I get to be a princess have to end like this?" Tears formed in her eyes and her bottom lip began to quiver. "WAAAAAHHH!"

"There's no need to cry, little lady," a voice came from behind her. She turned around and was shocked to see who it was.

"Tuxedo… M-Mask?" Usagi stuttered, still shaken up from crying. He was extending his hand to her, and when she looked down she saw that he was handing her a handkerchief. "Oh, thank you!" She took the handkerchief from him and proceeded to wipe as much of the wine off her dress as she could. "I'm sorry I look like such a mess now. I swear I'm usually a lot prettier than this…"

"What are you talking about?" Tuxedo Mask asked softly. "I think you look as beautiful as the Moon itself tonight."

Usagi's eyes lit up. "R-Really? That's so sweet…" she said, blushing lightly.

The handsome man held out his hand to her once again. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes!" the young girl respond instantly. "I mean… yes, of course, I'd love to dance with you!" she said more subdued and politely. She took ahold of Tuxedo Mask's hand, only to have him pull her swiftly back into the ballroom. Usagi's heart began pounding at a mile a minute. "I can't believe this… I'm about to dance with Tuxedo Mask!" she whispered to herself.

* * *

Two tall, muscular guards stood outside a door at the end of a long hallway. Like the ones outside, they wore a pair of sunglasses indoors, for reasons unknown. One of them reached back and knocked on the door.

"Princess D?" he called. "Are you almost ready? The guests are awaiting your grand entrance."

The door cracked slightly open, revealing a young girl with extremely thick glasses and a ton of makeup on. "I still need to put on more makeup! If I go out like this, people are only going to look at my glasses!"

"Oh Princess, you look beautiful," one of the guards said, trying to console her.

"You guys are jerks!" Princess D said before slamming the door in their faces.

The two guards sighed. The Princess was being as insecure as ever. They turned back to the hall, only now they noticed a man in a white tuxedo with long, silver walking towards them. "Halt! Who are you?" they demanded, but the man kept coming. "Do you have business with the Princess? If so, then state your name!" The man continued to ignore them as he approached the door. "Sir, please back away now!" One of the guards reached out to the silver-haired man, only to be violently punched in the gut. He man was completely derived of air and fell to the ground unconscious. The second guard tried to grab him from behind, but the man brought up his elbow and smashed it into the guard's face, knocking him out as well.

"Weak humans," Kunzite sneered. He proceeded to open the door and step inside, finding Princess D sitting at her vanity table. She noticed him through her mirror and whirled around in shock.

"Who… who are you?" she asked nervously.

Kunzite smiled warmly at the young girl. "Hello, Princess. There's someone who would like to meet you, so please come with me."

Princess D lowered her head. "I-I can't… they're gonna think I look funny with these glasses…"

She suddenly felt a pair of fingers in her chin. They lifted her head up to face Kunzite, who was now kneeling next to her. "Don't be ridiculous. You look pretty just as you are."

The Princess blushed. "Y-You think so? Nobody's ever complimented me like that before…" She was about to continue, but Kunzite suddenly placed his hand on her forehead. Instantly, the girl's vision went black and her mind was subdued. Her now limp body slumped forward into Kunzite's arms.

"Come, sweet Moon Princess. You have an appointment with the great Queen Metalia…" Kunzite said, grinning. Suddenly, he heard the door swing wide open and slam into the wall. He turned around to see two young girls standing in the doorway, one with long black hair and the other with short blue hair.

"Princess D!" the blue-haired one cried.

"Get out of my way!" Kunzite shouted. He swung his arm, generating a wave of black energy that struck the two girls and slammed them against the wall. "Dammit!" He dashed out of the room, carrying the unconscious princess over his shoulder.

"No… he's getting away…" Rei said weakly.

Luna ran into the room, spotting the two girls and panicking. "Ami! Rei! What happened?"

"A man kidnapped the princess… I think he's with the Dark Kingdom!" Ami said.

"Quickly, transform and go after him! I'll try and find Usagi!" Luna said before running out of the room.

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

Usagi swooned as Tuxedo Mask pulled her towards him. It was finally happening. She was finally going to get to dance with the man she admired so much! Her heart was pounding out of her chest, both out of excitement and anxiety. She had never danced with a man like this before. She had done play dancing with her father when they played Princess together, but this was totally different. The young girl began sweating and even trembling a little at the thought of screwing up her first dance with someone she had a crush on.

"Is something wrong?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

Usagi snapped out of her panicked state and let out a fake giggle. "S-Sorry, I'm just a little nervous…"

The tall man smiled. "Don't be. Just follow my lead."

Usagi felt him take a step back, and she quickly took a step forward. The two began swaying awkwardly from side to side. Usagi was internally chastising herself, thinking she looked positively ridiculous. However, as she looked up into her partner's eyes, she was met with a warm and welcoming gaze that held her spellbound. With that one look Usagi's movements suddenly became more relaxed and less awkward. The two's dancing became more fluid and graceful, to the point where Tuxedo Mask decided to try spinning Usagi and lowering her into his arms. Usagi was taken off guard by the this, but by this point it just felt natural. She looked up into the man's calming dark eyes, almost feeling compelled to lean up and kiss him…

"Usagi!" The moment was broken by the sound of Luna's voice calling her. She turned around and saw the black cat running over, a look of panic on her face. "Princess D is being kidnapped by a monster! The others need your help!"

"But…" she began, but when she turned back to Tuxedo Mask, she was surprised to see that he had disappeared. She felt incredibly disappointed that her dance with him had been interrupted, but realized that there were more important matters at hand now. "Right, sorry!" She picked up her dress and ran out of the ballroom to an empty hallway. She took one last look to make sure no one was around, then held up her Transformation Brooch.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

Kunzite finally made his way out of the ballroom and onto a long balcony that seemed to wrap around the entire building. He smiled back at the Princess, who was still unconscious. "Time to meet your master, dear Princess…"

"STOP!"

Kunzite turned around to see where the voice came from, only to come face-to-face with two girls in sailor outfits, one blue and one red.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

Kunzite just chuckled to himself. "Is that supposed to intimidate me?"

"Release Princess D right now!" Mars said, striking a battle pose. "Or suffer the consequences!"

"Foolish soldiers… you have no idea just who you're dealing with…" Kunzite said before raising his hand. A black sphere sparking with purple lighting formed above his palm.

"SHADOW BALL!"

Kunzite hurled the projectile at the two soldiers, but they quickly jumped out of the way and avoided the attack. Sailor Mars charged right at the man and threw a flurry of knife-hands and kicks at him, all of which he dodged with relative ease. Kunzite then threw his own punch at Mars, but the Soldier of Fire managed to catch it. Now with him in her grasp, she took aim and threw another knife-hand directly at his throat, but she was forced to stop short when Kunzite pulled the Princess in the path of her attack. Thankfully, she managed to stop herself before accidentally hitting the innocent girl. Unfortunately, Kunzite took advantage of this and kicked Mars directly in the chest, sending her flying back across the roof.

"Mars!" Ami screamed. She watched as the raven-haired girl landed hard on her back.

"MERCURY AQUA-"

Before she could finish her attack, she was struck in the chest with another of Kunzite's Shadow Ball attacks. She was knocked across the balcony and landed next to Mars.

"Damn you!" Sailor Mars shouted. She rose to her feet and formed a fireball in her hand.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Mars threw the fireball with all her might, aiming for Kunzite's head, but the silver-haired man just smiled, almost with a look of pity. As the fireball approached him, he simply smacked it away, causing it to land in the courtyard below the balcony and set the grass on fire.

"Oh no! We can't let that spread!" Mercury said, struggling to her feet.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The Soldier of Water sent her mist attack flying over the edge of the balcony, sprinkling the cold vapor onto the flames below.

"Such low-grade attacks. I don't even see why I'm bothering to fight you," Kunzite mocked.

Mars gritted her teeth in anger. "How can a monster be this strong?"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Mercury, Mars, and Kunzite all turned to see where the voice was coming from and saw Sailor Moon standing in the doorway to the balcony. "You there, monster! Kidnapping the princess on the night of her lovely masquerade ball is unforgivable!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

Luna ran up next to Sailor Moon but froze as soon as she saw Kunzite. "No… no! Not him!"

"Luna, who is this guy? I thought you said he was a monster," Sailor Moon asked.

"He's no monster… he's the leader of the Dark Kingdom's army!" Luna said, panicked.

"WHAT?!" Moon, Mercury and Mars all said in shock and unison.

"That's correct," the silver-haired man said. "I am Kunzite, Dark Knight of Shadows and second in command to Queen Metalia herself!" he announced. "Now you see how helpless you are, Sailor Soldiers!"

"L-Luna…" Usagi stammered. "I'm scared…" Tears began to form in the girl's eyes yet again.

"Don't be a coward, Sailor Moon!" Mars chastised. "The Princess' life is in our hands! Now throw your tiara at him!"

"You don't have to be so harsh!" Usagi cried.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara, turned it into a disk, and threw it at Kunzite. But, without even blinking, the Knight caught it between his pointer finger and middle finger. Grinning devilishly, he squeezed his two fingers together and crushed the tiara into shards. The Sailor Soldiers were shocked. "M-My tiara!" Moon cried.

"I told you you're helpless against me. Shall I demonstrate further?" He raised his pointer finger towards Sailor Moon. Its tip began to glow purple.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN!"

From the purple light, a black steel chain shot forward and snaked around Sailor Moon body, ensnaring her torso. "I hope you aren't afraid of heights…" Kunzite whipped the chain to the side, throwing Sailor Moon across the balcony and over the edge.

"Sailor Moon!" Mercury and Mars cried out.

Sailor Moon screamed in terror as she began to plunge toward the ground below. She thought this might be it for her, but suddenly she felt something grab her arm and stop her fall. She looked up and was overjoyed to see Tuxedo Mask leaning over the edge of the balcony and holding onto her. "Tuxedo Mask!"

"Hang on… Sailor Moon!" the man grunted as he tried pull Moon back up.

"You're only delaying the inevitable!" Kunzite shouted.

"SHADOW BALL!"

The ball of dark energy slammed into Tuxedo Mask's back, causing him to shout in pain and lose his footing. He slipped over the balcony railing and began falling along with Sailor Moon.

"No!" Luna cried. She quickly ran over to the balcony and called down to the two. "Sailor Moon! Take out your Disguise Pen and click it!"

Not wanting to argue at this point, Sailor Moon held on tight to Tuxedo Mask and clicked her Disguise Pen. In an instant, the pen extended to about two feet long, with the top billowing out into a nylon canopy. The pen had turned into an umbrella! Moon and Mask were now drifting steadily towards the ground, the umbrella acting like a parachute. Sailor Moon turned around and gazed into her hero's eyes, seeing that he was returning the longing stare. It felt like time had slowed down around the two as they held onto each other, safely approaching the grass below. Unfortunately, the romantic moment came to an end as their feet touched down on the ground and they let each other go.

"That was too close…" Sailor Moon sighed with relief. She was caught off guard though when Tuxedo Mask grasped her chin and lifted her head up to face him.

"Thank you, Sailor Moon. Today, you were the one who saved me." Usagi was about to respond, but all words left her mind as she felt Tuxedo Mask plant a feather-light kiss on her forehead. The girl was at a loss for words. She tried to think of something to say, but by now the dark-haired man had turned around and ran off into the night, leaving her dumbfounded in the grassy courtyard.

She reached up and touched her forehead. "He… kissed me…" The blonde girl truly thought she was in a fairy tale now. True, it hadn't been a kiss on the lips, but it was still a kiss, wasn't it? It had to mean something…

Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of her friends screaming, no doubt due to Kunzite's attacks. "I have to get back up there and help them!" She started to run, but stopped herself. "But… I'm powerless without my tiara," she lamented, remembering what Kunzite had done. Suddenly, the Soldier of Love felt a strange warmth spread across her forehead. It was hot, yet it felt like it was giving her strength. When the heat died down, she felt a cold metal band around her forehead. "A new tiara?" Sailor Moon said, touching the new jewelry. "That's the spot where he kissed me… did he do this?" A dozen questions flowed through the girl's mind, but she soon realized there was no time for them. She had to save her friends from Kunzite!

* * *

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Sailor Mercury sent forth another cloud of mist at Kunzite, which surrounded him and limited his vision to nearly nothing. He looked from side to side, trying to see where the next attack would come from. Out of nowhere, he felt a pair of arms lock around his neck and pull him into a hold. The blue-haired soldier had snuck up and him and now had him in a headlock.

"Sailor Mars! Now!" Mercury called out.

Kunzite looked over and saw Sailor Mars summon another fireball into her hand and rear back, preparing to throw it.

"FIRE SOUL!"

"SHADOW BALL!"

Mars and Kunzite each threw their respective attacks at each other. They collided at the center of the space between them, but the Fire Soul was easily destroyed by the Shadow Ball, which then continued on its path and smashed into Mars, knocking her to the ground.

"No! Ma-" Mercury's cry was cut off by Kunzite smashing his elbow into her stomach, pushing all the air out of her lungs. She let go of his neck and clutched her stomach, only to be kicked in the chest by the Knight of Shadows. Mercury fell to the ground, in pain and barely conscious, while Kunzite stood over her and laughed.

"I'm disappointed, Sailor Soldiers. I thought you would at least put up more of a fight than this." He took a step back and held tight to Princess D, who was still slumped over his shoulder. "My work here is done. I shall be taking the Moon Princess back with me to the Dark Kingdom!"

Kunzite was about to make a move, but he was startled by a faint breeze blowing against his back, followed by a shadow being cast over him. He looked behind him and saw a dark figure was now in front of the Moon. The Moon's light behind the figure almost made it look like a solar eclipse. After a moment, the figure flew back down and landed on the balcony railing. It was Sailor Moon.

"So, you managed to escape death. It appears I underestimated you…" His eyes drifted up to her forehead, upon which they went wide. Her tiara was back, but it was different. Where the single red gem had once been, there was now a crown-shaped stud with three smaller red gems built into it. A wave-shaped pattern also lined the band of the tiara. "How? I destroyed it!"

Sailor Moon wasn't listening. She looked to her right and saw Sailor Mars lying on the ground, her body still sparking with dark energy. She looked to the left and saw Sailor Mercury clutching her stomach and gasping for breath. Then she looked back to Kunzite and narrowed her eyes. "You're gonna pay for hurting my friends, Kunzite!"

Kunzite panicked for a minute, but quickly regained his confidence and chuckled. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

"Well… um…" The blonde heroine tried to think of something. She hadn't exactly planned this far ahead.

"Sailor Moon!" She heard Tuxedo Mask's voice again, and saw the man now standing in the doorway to the balcony. "The only way to stop a darkness this powerful is with a stronger light!"

Luna stepped up next to Tuxedo Mask. "He's right! Use your new tiara to reflect the light of the Moon onto Kunzite!"

Sailor Moon didn't know exactly what they meant by this, but then she felt something at the back of her mind. It was a voice calling out to her, just like when she had first transformed. She knew exactly what to do now. She reached up to her new tiara, squeezing the crown stud between her pointer finger and thumb.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

The three gems on the tiara each began to glow white like the moon. True to the attack's name, a brilliant white light flashed from the gems, shining across the entire balcony. Kunzite began to feel his body tingle, then stung, then burn. He looked down to his body and saw that his clothes and skin were smoking. The light from the tiara was burning him! The immense pain caused by this forced him to drop Princess D.

"I won't be subdued by this!" he roared in anger and in pain.

"SHADOW BALL!"

As soon as the dark energy ball appeared, it disintegrated. "The light… it's negating my powers!" He felt the burning sensation across his body begin to grow. It felt like he was about to catch fire. "I'll be back, Sailor Moon!" Quickly, Kunzite opened up an invisible door, just like the one Nephrite and Zoisite used to escape, and jumped through it, disappearing from the battle scene.

The light from Sailor Moon's new attack slowly faded, and Sailor Moon stepped down from the railing. "He's gone…" She heard the sound of grunting, and looked over to see Mars and Mercury slowly getting back up. "Guys! Are you okay?" The blonde girl ran over to her friends.

"Usagi, you did it…" Mercury congratulated, still sounding a little winded from the blow from Kunzite.

"A new attack, huh?" Mars said with a smirk. "When do I get one of those?"

Usagi giggled. "Maybe you just need to try harder, ReiRei!" This generated a scowl from the raven-haired girl.

The three of them heard a faint sigh, and they looked down to see Princess D waking up. To their shock, the Princess, who was known for looking ridiculous with her three-inch thick glasses, was actually incredibly beautiful, with shimmering green eyes and long fluttering eyelashes. "Where… am I? My glasses…" The young girl felt around the ground and picked up her glasses, putting them on and returning to her usual self.

"I guess Kunzite wasn't the only one who underestimated someone tonight…" Usagi said.

"What do you think, Luna?" Ami asked. "Is she the Moon Princess?"

Luna focused her senses, causing the crescent moon on her forward to glow, but it quickly died down. "No, she's not. I don't sense any power from her."

"Well, that's disappointing," Rei said disheartenedly. "We should help her get back inside. The guests are probably wondering where their host is."

* * *

Kunzite collapsed onto the floor, hugging himself and squeezing the burnt skin on his body. He was now back in the Dark Kingdom, but the scars from his battle still remained fresh on his body. "Damn it all…" he groaned. The silver-haired man pulled back his sleeves, revealing several red and black patches on his skin, some still smoking. He had never experience damage or pain like this before. What exactly happened back there? Did he have a weakness to the Moon's light due to his powers coming from pure darkness? Suddenly, he heard a pair of footsteps approaching him. He looked up and saw a man with long, reddish brown hair standing a few feet away from him. "Nephrite!" Kunzite cried out in relief. "Please… help me!"

Nephrite simply shook his head and clicked his tongue. "The great and powerful Kunzite, on the ground and begging for my help. I don't believe I've ever seen a more tragic sight. Or a more pathetic one…"

"What did you say?!" Kunzite said angrily. "I'm your superior! I order you to help me get to the infirmary!"

"If you're so superior, then get yourself to the infirmary." Nephrite turned his back to the fallen man and began to walk away, but he stopped and turned back to him once more. "I will always respect the warrior you once were, Kunzite. But not this failure you've become." The brunette continued on his way, leaving the injured Kunzite behind.

"Get back here, Nephrite!" Kunzite shouted, rage eminent in voice. However, tears began to swim in the Knight's eyes. "I promise you will know my… my wrath!" he roared, his voice breaking a little at the end.

* * *

"Attention everyone!" Princess D chirped into a microphone. "I want to thank you all for coming out to this lovely masquerade ball tonight! I have truly enjoyed visiting Tokyo, and I hope to return again sometime soon!" She gestured to the orchestra below her. "And now, please give a big hand to the orchestra, as they play their final song for tonight! Thank you all once again!"

With that, the conductor raised his baton and began waving it at the musicians. The orchestra began playing a slow, romantic symphony that sounded like something out of a love story. Couples began pairing up and heading for the dance floor. Men placed their hands on their partners hips, and women wrapped their arms around their partners necks, and they swayed from side to side in perfect unison.

Usagi, now de-transformed and back in her princess gown, watched the couples dance with great jealousy. "The last dance of the night and I'm all alone…"

"Excuse me," a familiar voice said. Usagi looked over and saw Tuxedo Mask bowing and holding his hand out to her. "I believe the two of us have a dance to finish."

Usagi broke into a joyous smile and happily took the man's hand. They made their way out onto the dance floor and assumed the same position as the other guests, rocking back and forth to the gorgeous music that echoed throughout the ballroom.

From a distance, Ami watched Usagi and Tuxedo Mask dancing. Her heart ached when she saw the affectionate look in Usagi's eyes. As much as the thought tore her heart apart, there was no doubt in her mind that the golden-haired beauty was in love.

"Hey Ami," Rei said. She had been standing next to Ami and took note of the girl's demeanor. "Why the long face?"

"Oh, nothing," Ami lied. "It's just… when your a brainy girl like me, nobody wants to dance with you."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you didn't want anyone to ask you."

"Yeah, but now that I'm seeing all these couples, I guess I'm just feeling kinda left out." Ami wished she could tell Rei why she was really depressed, but she was afraid of what her friend might say, and if she would end up telling Usagi.

"Well… do you want to dance with me?"

Ami was shocked by what she heard. She looked up and saw Rei was now holding a hand out to her. The blue-haired girl didn't know what to do. She had wished this would have been between her and Usagi, but it was clear to her that that wasn't going to happen now. Besides, Rei was her friend, and she was quite a beautiful girl. "Okay… yeah, I'd love to!" she said, sounding more excited with each word.

Ami took Rei's hand, allowing the Soldier of Passion to lead her onto the dance floor. Rei placed her hands on Ami's hips, and Ami put her hands on Rei's shoulders. They listened carefully to the orchestra and began gracefully moving from side to side. The two smiled at each other, gazing into each others eyes and letting the music take hold of their movements. It may not have been romantic, but it still made the two girls happy. Usagi saw them from across the dance floor, smiling lightly to herself before refocusing on Tuxedo Mask. The two couples continued to dance even as the orchestra played its last notes, all of their hearts content and happy. The night was truly at peace.

~A Suivre~


	8. Chaos at the Carnival

Here's chapter 8! This is probably the closest thing I will write to a "filler episode," since I hate filler with a burning passion. I also tried to wrap up a few things from the previous few chapters before I introduce the next major charatcer. I think ya'll know who it's gonna be ;) Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

* * *

Chapter 8: Chaos at the Carnival

"My Queen, I understand that you may be upset with my latest failure," Kunzite said, standing before the Queen's glass sphere. "But please, whatever punishment you have in mind, exact it on me, not Jadeite!" He dropped to one knee and squeezed his eyes shut. "I beg of you, spare my brother!"

Metalia sounded like she was whispering to herself, as if pondering what Kunzite said. "Quit your groveling, Kunzite. Your failure has disappointed me, but now that I know Princess D is not the Moon Princess, I believe punishing either of you would be pointless."

Kunzite was stunned. Was the Queen… admitting she was wrong? "I-"

"However!" Metalia interrupted. "Your chances are now becoming numbered. I realize that your ranks are slowly depleting, and as soon as they are all gone, they will no longer be able to gather energy for me, and therefore I will no longer have any use for you." Her essence froze, and Kunzite felt her fixate on him. "I am giving you until then to prove yourself worthy of being in my service. But as soon as you run out of monsters, expect nothing but my wrath!"

Kunzite didn't want to admit it to himself, but deep inside he knew he was feeling fear. His ranks were running short, and unless he could come up with a strategy that could destroy the Sailor Soldiers once and for all, the odds were definitely not in his favor. Nonetheless, he stood up and saluted Queen Metalia. "I understand, your majesty." With that, he backed out of the room and closed the door. He took a deep breath once the doors were closed, as if the air had suddenly become breathable again.

"Now do you understand?" Jadeite's voice came from behind Kunzite. The silver-haired man looked behind him to see his brother standing across the hall from him. However, there was something off about his demeanor. It took Kunzite some time to catch on to it, but he noticed that Jadeite wasn't smiling. "Well? Do you?"

"Understand what?" Kunzite snapped.

Jadeite's smile returned. "So you haven't figured it out yet. And I thought better of you, brother."

Kunzite stormed over to the blonde man and stood over him. "What the hell are you saying?"

"Ha! I suppose I have to spell it out for you," Jadeite laughed. "Your precious Queen in there is using us. She doesn't care if we live or die as long as she gets her way."

"Silence!" Kunzite hissed. "You know better than to question her majesty."

"She told you that if you fail, you will face her wrath! Does that not concern you in the slightest?" Jadeite questioned insistently.

Kunzite grabbed his brother's shoulder and squeezed forcefully. "That is why I will not fail!" he snarled. The Knight of Shadows turned away from Jadeite and walked off in the other direction towards his monster's barracks.

Jadeite's smile widened. "Don't worry, Kunzite. You won't have to worry about failure for much longer." His pupils contracted and his eyelid began to twitch. "It's taken me millenia, but my plan is finally reaching its end." The blonde man slithered back into the shadows, giggling like a possessed child.

* * *

People crowded together, colorful lights flashed, and catchy music played across numerous speakers. The carnival was in town. What was once an empty field was now lined with gut-busting rides, rigged games with cheap prizes, and delicious food that was likely to cause serious stomach aches later. For a girl like Usagi, it was a paradise.

"Alright you guys, who's ready for fun, fun, FUN?!" the bun-headed blonde cheered.

"I haven't been to a carnival in years. I'm really glad to have friends to go with this time," Ami said with a light smile.

"Why am I here again?" Rei sighed.

Usagi poked her raven-haired friend in the arm. "Aw c'mon, ReiRei! Don't be a prude! Loosen up a little!"

"Usagi, this place is for little kids!" she said, sounding irritated.

Luna walked up next to the three. "Sorry, Rei. I told Usagi to invite you all here for a patrol mission, but I guess she neglected to tell you that," the black cat said, shooting Usagi a look. The blonde girl rubbed the back of her head and forced a laugh. "This place will be a prime target for the Dark Kingdom. I would be shocked if they didn't attempt to collect human energy from here."

Rei let out another sigh. "Alright, I'll stay, but only if Usagi takes this one-hundred percent seriously. Got that, Bun-Head?" She looked around, but saw that the blonde had already run off and was now playing one of those water-shooting games, laughing her head off.

"Let her have fun," Ami said. "I'm sure if something happens, she'll be ready to take action."

Rei grunted at this, but looked worried. "I'm just concerned that she'll get hurt if she doesn't start shaping up."

"I worry about her too, but I've known her a little longer than you have. Even though she may act silly all the time, her heart is in the right place." The two looked over to Usagi, who had lost the game and was now whining over how she wanted one of the big stuffed animals. "C'mon, let's get out there too." Ami nudged Rei forward a little.

Rei took another deep breath, but smiled. "Okay," she said simply.

* * *

Usagi struggled to lift a giant hammer over her head, preparing to bring it down onto a platform that would send a metal ball up a railing to ring a bell. Even though the hammer was about half her size, it took all of the petite girl's strength, or lack thereof, to raise it high enough. When she finally brought the tool down, she felt like a million pounds had been lifted off her back. Despite all this effort, the metal ball didn't even make it halfway up the railing. Of course, Usagi began whining about how the hammer was too heavy. Rei then stepped up to the game, ready to take her turn. However, instead of picking up the hammer, she assumed a stance she learned in Tai Chi, then proceeded to kick her leg up into the air and swing it down onto the platform. The metal ball immediately shot up to the top of the railing with the speed of a bullet and struck the bell, causing it to emit a loud ring. Usagi called Rei a cheater, but the young martial artist just smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Next up on the agenda was the cup game. Usagi grabbed a baseball off the counter and took aim at the six cups stacked in a pyramid formation. She dramatically wound up her arm, raising her leg like a real baseball pitcher, and threw the ball with all her might, only to have it sail right past the cups and slam into the back wall. She picked up a second ball, threw it and missed, then picked up a third ball and repeated the same process. She began to whine again, saying the cups were too far away. Rei pushed the blonde girl aside and picked up a baseball. She appeared to study the cups carefully, as well as the distance between them and her. She then turned around and faced away from the game, tossing the ball over her shoulder almost casually. It hit the center cup and brought the whole stack down. Usagi called Rei a show-off, but the raven-haired girl just smiled and held her chin high.

Now it was time to go on a ride. Ami decided to stay away, as she wasn't big on rides that throw you around, instead opting to go on the ferris wheel with Luna. Usagi and Rei got in line for a ride called The Octopus, where eight hydraulic arms extended out to a set of seats. As the arms spun around the center pivot, the seats would spin as well. When the two finally got on the ride, Usagi was bug-eyed and screaming, while Rei just sat calm with her arms folded. After the ride was finally over, Rei found herself standing over Usagi, gently patting her back as the blonde girl threw up over and over again. So far, this was the least fun Rei was having.

After plenty of amusement, the girls decided to take a break and hit up an ice cream stand. Ami and Rei each got a single scoop, while Usagi got a huge stack of ten scoops.

"I'm not even going to ask how you're balancing that," Rei said.

"What do you mean? I have great bala-" Usagi stopped herself as the mountain of ice cream began to wobble a little, but she managed to get it under control. "I have great balance!"

Rei let out a sigh, but Ami giggled a little. "You sure do, Usagi," the blue-haired girl said.

"Any sign of Dark Kingdom activity, girls?" Luna asked, sitting at their feet.

"I haven't sensed anything out of the ordinary yet," Rei answered. "Although my abilities are still in the works…"

"If Luna says this is a prime target for the Dark Kingdom, then I'm sure we'll see something eventually. After all, she knows these enemies better than we do," Ami explained.

"Oh, Ami!" Usagi said, startling the nerdy girl a bit. "You've got some ice cream on your face!" Ami was about to wipe it off, but Usagi suddenly reached out and wiped the ice cream off with her finger. Ami watched as Usagi popped her finger in her mouth and slowly sucked off the sweet dessert. As she watched, she felt her heart accelerate and her face go red. It was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

As Usagi finished licking the ice cream off her finger, she noticed a couple people she recognized across the field. As she looked closer, she realized it was Naru and Mamoru! "On a date no doubt…" she thought to herself. However, Usagi began to notice something about the way they were interacting. Naru seemed incredibly distant, while Mamoru was talking to her isth an insisting demeanor. The young blonde began smiling.

Rei caught Usagi's eye and saw the two as well. She turned to her shorter friend. "Usagi, I know what you're thinking, but maybe it's best if we left them-"

"This looks like a job for… USAGI! ROMANCE EXTRAORDINARY!"

"Don't you mean 'extraordinaire?'" Ami tried to ask, but Usagi suddenly thrust her giant ice cream cone into the blue-haired girl's free hand, who tried desperately to balance it. With that, she began sneaking her way over to the two lovers. Rei and Luna just face-palmed.

Usagi snuck behind one of the carnival game stands and took out her Disguise Pen,

whispering her command as to not draw any attention to herself.

"Moon Power! Change me into… A Carny!"

* * *

"Look… Naru, I'm sorry for standing you up, but I swear something just came up. You know I wouldn't abandon you for no reason," Mamoru said, trying to console his girlfriend.

Naru just stood there with her arms crossed, refusing to make eye contact with the taller boy. She didn't look angry or sad, she just looked disappointed. "So what came up? Did you go get drunk with some friends or something?"

Mamoru's eyebrows shot up. "What? Don't be ridiculous! We're not even old enough to drink!" His rising voice caused Naru's expression to drop even further. She almost looked scared now. "I… I'm sorry."

"I know. It's just… you never called. You never said what you had going on. I was just really looking forward to that night…" Naru said shyly.

Mamoru reached for the girl's hand, but she pulled away. He sighed. "I know you were excited about that night, but we're here now, aren't we? I thought this place would cheer you up."

Naru slowly turned back to her boyfriend, looking up at him with shimmering eyes. "This place is fun, but I wanted to do something romantic. We haven't done anything like that yet," she squeaked.

Mamoru thought for a minute, then reached out to Naru's hand again. This time she didn't pull away, and he gently laced his fingers around hers. "We'll do something romantic next time. I promise."

The redhead was about to respond, but she was cut off by a loud, expressive voice. "Step right up and win a prize! Hit the target with the water gun and fill the balloon up until it pops!" Naru and Mamoru looked over to see a 'man' with short blond hair (and oddly a brown moustache) wearing a red-and-white striped shirt and pants and a white vest, along with a top hat. Obviously an over-ecstatic carny. However, his voice sounded like a young girl doing a bad impression of a man. "You two! Think you have what it takes?" 'he' said, pointing at Naru and her boyfriend.

The two looked a little taken aback by this, but Mamoru decided to make a move. Still holding Naru's hand, he pulled her towards the game stand. "We do!" he said to the carny.

Naru was about to protest, but suddenly found herself with a water gun in her hand, along with Mamoru. The carny knelt down and pointed to a red and white bullseye target. "Just aim for the middle of that target to fill up the balloon!" 'He' pointed above the target to a pair of deflated balloons. "Whoever pops it first wins a prize!" He stepped back. "Aaaand… GO!"

Naru and Mamoru took aim and began spraying the center of the targets. The two balloons above began to fill up as well. Before long, Naru was in the lead. Her balloon was growing larger and faster than Mamoru's. The carny could tell that the dark-haired boy was losing on purpose to cheer up his girlfriend, but 'he' had other plans. He produced a needle from his sleeve and pretended to stretch his arms up. With both of them focused on the target and not the balloons, 'he' quickly stabbed Mamoru's balloon with the needle, popping it with a loud BOOM. "We have a winner!" the carny announced.

Mamoru immediately looked nervous. His intention had been to let Naru win, but he must have been trying harder than he thought. He was caught off guard when the carny thrust a giant stuffed white rabbit into his arms. "There ya go, champ! You get a big prize!" Mamoru looked back up to the carny to say he really didn't want it, but he noticed the 'man' was continuously darting his eyes over to Naru. He wasn't sure if the carny was trying to suggest something, but it gave Mamoru an idea.

He took hold of one of the stuffed rabbits arms and began playing puppet with it, making it wave at Naru. "Hello there, Naru! My name's Mr. Cuddles!" he said in playful voice. Naru looked up at her boyfriend curiously. "Hey, you're just as cute as I am! Do you think you'd want to be friends?" Naru started to smile a little. "Come on, don't be shy! Come here and give me a hug!" With that, Naru lost all self control. She squealed like a happy little fangirl and threw her arms round the stuffed rabbit, squeezing it to her body and relishing in its soft, fluffy fur.

"Oh, it's so cute!" she chirped happily. The redhead then turned to her boyfriend with starry eyes. "You know all my weaknesses, don't you?" Naru proceeded to stand on her toes and give the taller boy a light kiss on the cheek.

Mamoru's face turned red as a beet. He wasn't expecting a kiss, but he was just happy Naru was her usual adorable self again. He turned back to the game stand to thank the carny, but was surprised to see him gone.

* * *

Usagi strolled back over to her two friends, out of breath for some reason. "Geez… taking like a man is a huge workout for my voice…"

"But they fell for it!" Ami congratulated. "You're really talented, Usagi."

Rei raised an eyebrow at the nerdy girl. She was being oddly complimentative towards the ditzy blonde girl. She ignored it for the time being and turned back to Usagi. "That was a pretty smart idea, especially for you." Usagi pouted at the girl's remark. "But why did you do it? I thought you hated those two being together."

"Oh Rei, I don't hate anything!" Usagi said with a bright smile, followed by a deep scowl. "I just can't stand that Mamoru Chiba…" Her frown quickly warped back into a smile again. "But as long as Naru is happy, I'm happy!"

Ami smiled warmly. "Naru's lucky to have a friend like you. You're so kind and caring." This generated anther suspicious look from Rei, but she continued on. "So… do you… want your ice cream back?" she said, and handed Usagi the skyscaper of an ice cream cone she was still holding.

"Oh yeah, thanks Ami!" Usagi reached forward and took the cone from her blue-haired friend, causing their hands to brush together for a brief moment. Even though contact only lasted a second, Ami's face flushed a bright red.

"Alright girls," Luna said. "You've had plenty of fun. I think we should dedicate some time to investigating for Dark Kingdom activity."

"Awww, but Lunaaa!" Usagi whined.

Just then, a voice came over a set of loudspeakers spread throughout the park. "Ladies and gentlemen! Ryoku Starlight has just arrived and will be ready to perform in about five minutes! Proceed to the stage if you're ready for some music!"

Usagi's eyes bugged right out of their sockets. "Oh my gosh! Ryoku Starlight is here?!" she squealed.

Ami and Rei just shot each other confused looks. "Um… who's that?" Rei asked.

Usagi turned to Rei, eyes still as wide as plates. "Are you kidding? You don't know who Ryoku Starlight is? He's only the cutest, most handsome, most beautiful teenage idol in all of Japan! We have to go see him!"

"I don't know… I'm not a big fan of live music…" Ami said shyly.

"And I'm not a fan of sparkly heartthrob hot-shots who think they're so special because girls crawl all over them at the sound of their voice!" Rei ranted.

Usagi dropped to her knees and clapped her hands together. "Pleeeeease! I really wanna gooo!" the blonde cried, tears fountaining out of her eyes.

Rei sighed, but decided that this was the only way to stop the girl's whining. "Ugh, fine! One song but that's it!"

* * *

"HELLOOOO TOKYO!" A young man with black, spiky hair who looked to be eighteen or nineteen shouted into a microphone. Immediately, hundreds of giddy young fan girls, ranging from middle school to college, let out piercing, hormonal screams and pushed as close to the stage as they could. At the back of the stage, three men, one on an electric guitar, one on drums, and one on a keyboard began playing the most generic, catchy pop music one could imagine, and the young man, known as Ryoku Starlight, began singing an extremely cheesy song about love in a smooth, delicate voice.

Rei covered her ears. "How can you listen to this? It's like a pair of drills going into my ears!" she shouted to Usagi.

The bun-headed blonde wasn't listening. She was hopping up and down and screaming just like all the other girls around her. "I LOVE YOU, RYOKU!" she screeched.

Ryoku's song continued. It may have only lasted about five minutes or so, but to Rei, it felt more like a half hour. She had had enough. She looked over to Ami, who was doing her best to look very small amongst the crowd, and grabbed her wrist, leading her away from the stage.

* * *

Naru and Mamoru stood a ways away from the stage, neither one of them wanting to have to fight to get closer. Naru was going crazy just like every other girl around her, while Mamoru just smiled. She may have been cute when she was shy, but she was even more so when she was energetic. He was just happy the two of them were back on good terms. Next time, they would do something romantic for sure. He owed it to the redhead.

Just when he thought his day was beginning to look up, he felt a subtle pain in the back of his head. At first, he chalked it down to the incredibly loud music combined with the screaming of fangirls, but as the pain grew larger, he realized just what it was. "Oh no, not now!" he said to himself, gripping the back of his head.

Naru looked over to her boyfriend, growing concerned when she saw his expression. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Mamoru quickly tried to think of an excuse. "Uh… nothing! I just… need a drink!" He turned around and began to push through the crowd. "I'll be back in a few!" he shouted back to his girlfriend before disappearing into the thick crowd.

Naru was concerned. She hoped he wasn't blowing her off again, but at the same time he looked like he was in pain. She thought about following him, but something told her to stay and keep listening to the music. In fact, at this point, it was almost like the music was holding her spellbound. All Naru could do was stand there and focus on the strangely hypnotic sound of Ryoku Starlight's voice.

* * *

After a lot of pushing, shoving, and angry remarks to people who bumped into them, Ami and Rei finally made it out of the rioting crowd.

Ami took a deep breath. "Thanks, Rei. That was terrifying," she said, relieved.

Rei was busy smoothing out her clothes, which had gotten wrinkled from all the struggling it took to get out of there. "I've had just about enough of Usagi. The world is under attack and all she can think about is boys." She turned to Ami and raised a fist. "Lucky for us, we're sensible. We don't need boys to get along, right?"

Ami shrunk a little. "Y-yeah…"

The raven-haired girl could see that Ami was nervous, but she couldn't tell why. They got away from the crowd, didn't they? So why was she still acting all sheepish? Perhaps she just needed a little cheering up. "So, do you want to play a game?"

"Um, no thanks. You can go play something if you want to…" Ami said.

"C'mon Ami, you've barely done anything since we got here. You're the one who convinced me to have fun in the first place," Rei insisted.

"Yeah, but I just-" She was cut off by Rei draping an arm over her shoulder and pointing towards a game stand.

"Hey, look! A darts game! It'll be good practice for our aim when we're fighting!" Rei said, nudging the blue-haired girl towards the game.

Ami was about to retort Rei's suggestion again, but decided against it and went along with her friend towards the game. As Rei said, it was a game where you threw three darts at a wall covered with multi-colored balloons. However many you popped determined how big a prize you got. The carny handed three darts to Rei, who lined up her aim at the first balloon.

"Hey Rei?" Ami asked as the young martial artist threw her first dart, easily popping a red balloon.

"Yeah?" she responded, lining up another dart.

Ami twiddled her thumbs for a moment, as if choosing her next words carefully. "Do you ever wonder if… Usagi likes girls?"

Rei popped a second red balloon. "Heh… I wouldn't be surprised given how resentful she is towards Naru being with Mamoru." She threw her last dart and popped a third balloon, which was also red. "Why do you ask?"

"I-I was just wondering…" Ami stuttered. She then stepped up to the game herself and got three more darts from the carny.

Rei stared at Ami. At this point there was no doubt. Something is definitely bothering her. She just had to figure out what it was so she could help her. The blue-haired girl began throwing her darts, missing a yellow balloon she was aiming for. Rei focused on Ami, trying to read her emotions. Even though her psychic abilities weren't quite as fine-tuned as she liked them to be, she still wanted to see if what she was thinking was correct. Ami threw a second dart, missing a green balloon. Suddenly, Rei picked up on something. The girl's aura was definitely off balance, but she could also feel pain. Ami was in pain, but why? Deciding to go with her first hunch, Rei blurted out what she was thinking.

"Ami, do you have feelings for Usagi?"

Ami threw her third dart, popping a blue balloon. However, even as the carny announced her win, the shy young girl froze in her place. "W-What… what makes you say that?" she asked, refusing to look at Rei.

Rei placed a hand on Ami's shoulder. "I may not be able to read minds, but I can tell when someone's chi is unbalanced. I just noticed today that yours goes unbalanced whenever you're around Usagi." She rubbed her friend's shoulder, as if trying to relax her. "You can tell me anything. I'm here to listen, not judge."

Ami whirled around and stabbed her gaze into Rei's. "Okay, I do! I have feelings for Usagi!" she cried. "She may not be perfect, but she's warm and kind and funny and beautiful, but…" She paused for a moment. "But none of that matters. She likes Tuxedo Mask. You've seen the way she acts around him. I've never seen her have a bigger crush on anyone, not even that pop star guy on stage right now." Ami anxiously rubbed her hands together, clearly stressed out. "My feelings can never be fulfilled…"

Rei placed her free hand on Ami's other shoulder and turned her to face her. "You have to tell her." Ami was about to respond, but Rei kept going. "If you keep your feelings bottled up, you'll be hurting yourself. Love is a strong emotion, and keeping it in is nothing short of unhealthy. Even if Usagi doesn't feel the same way, you owe it to yourself to tell her!"

"But… what if I tell her and… and it ruins our friendship?" Ami said, tears swimming in her eyes.

Rei smiled warmly at her blue-haired friend. "Come on, do you really think Usagi would ever want to stop being friends with you? Or me? Or anyone?"

Ami was about blurt out another quick response, but she stopped herself and thought for a moment. That didn't seem like something Usagi would do… Rei was right. She had to tell Usagi how she felt. If there was even the slightest chance that Usagi felt something for her too, she had to take it now before her heart completely set on Tuxedo Mask! "Alright, I'll tell her!" Ami said, confidently now.

Rei smiled again, satisfied. "Then let's go back there. We'll get her out of there and you can tell her everything!"

Ami smiled back. "Right!"

The two friends walked back towards the stage where Ryoku was still performing. He was just finishing up his first song. Oddly though, no cheers came from the crowd…

* * *

"Excuse me, pardon me, coming through…" Ami said politely as she pushed past a seemingly endless amount of Ryoku fans.

Rei sensed that something was off. Not because she felt a presence, but because none of the girls were showing any reaction to being pushed aside. "Ami, wait!" She said suddenly.

Ami turned around and watched Rei grab a girl's arm. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked, shaking the girl lightly. To Rei's shock, the girl turned to face her, revealing that her eyes had gone completely white, there was no sign of her pupils, irises, or even veins. Ami was horrified. As the two looked around they noticed that every other girl was exactly the same.

"Usagi… we have to find Usagi!" Ami cried.

"Too late, Sailor Soldiers!" a cocky voice said over the microphone. Ami and Rei looked up to the stage to see Ryoku Starlight glaring down at them. A deformed grin literally stretched from ear to ear across his face. His body began to contort as he shed his human disguise and transformed into a monster. His legs merged into a tail that stretched out several feet behind him. His skin became a lustrous mix of purple and turquoise scales, giving him an elegant appearance. Finally, his mouth stretched up at the corners in a permanent grin, revealing a pair of sharp, pointed teeth. His irises became yellow, with thin black pupils, and he completely shed his black, spiky hair. He had turned into some demented cross between a man and a snake. "I am Kappra, massster of hypnosisss! Listen to my voiccce, and obey!"

"Not a chance, you freak!" Rei shouted. She and Ami whipped out their Transformation Pens and held them up to the air.

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

In a brilliant burst of red and blue light, the two girls transformed into their Sailor Soldier personas.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

Kappra just let out a hissing cackle. "If you wisssh to do either of those thingsss, you'll have to get through my minionsss firssst!" The monster's pupils contracted, to the point where they were thin as needles, and he now spoke in a low, soft voice. "Dessstroy them, my petsss!"

Before Mars or Mercury knew it, the crowd of people had them surrounded. They hissed at the Soldiers as if they were snake monsters themselves. They began lunging at the girls, trying to punch, claw, and grab them. Mars and Mercury dove this way and that, trying to avoid the onslaught of fangirls. One girl swiped her long nails at Mercury, but the Soldier of Water managed to lean back far enough to dodge it. Another girl pounced at Mars, trying to tackle her, but the Soldier of Fire jumped into the air, causing her attacker to crash into the ground and skid across the grass.

"We have to fight back!" Mars called to her comrade.

"But we can't hurt them! They're just normal people!" Mercury replied.

Sailor Mars thought hard, desperately trying to come up with a plan while avoiding the hypnotized girls that were trying to rip her apart. Just then, an idea popped into her head. "Throw up a mist!" she told Mercury. "I'll take care of the rest!"

Mercury jumped away from another hypnotized girl. "I hope you know what you're doing!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Sailor Mercury spread her arms apart, forming two spirals of water in either of her hands. Before any of the girls could attack again, they were blinded by a freezing cold mist that appeared from the blue-haired girl's hands. Sailor Mars immediately went to work, striking the girls' pressure points with two fingers. One by one, they dropped to the ground, unconscious or paralyzed. After several more strikes to the neck, temple, ribs, or chest, Sailor Mars had completed her plan. Every hypnotized girl was down on the ground.

"Great work, Mars!" Sailor Mercury congratulated.

Mars was about to thank her for the compliment, but something suddenly occurred to her. "Wait… where's Usagi? I don't think I knocked her out," the Soldier of Passion said, concern eminent in her voice.

Mercury's face immediately felt the same concern. Her head darted in nearly every direction, trying to locate her golden-haired friend amongst the piles of unconscious girls. Suddenly, she felt a sharp sting on the side of her face. The feeling was tiny at first, but it quickly began to burn, as if she had been cut with a hot knife. Mercury watched as a glowing golden disk flew past her face and circled back around behind her. She reached up and touched her cheek, noticing a red spot on her white gloves.

"No…" Mercury said quietly. She slowly turned around, and despite her internal pleads that is wasn't true, she saw Sailor Moon standing there with blank eyes.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars screamed. She turned to Kappra and narrowed her eyes. "Damn you! Release her now!"

Kappra just grinned, flashing his two pointed front teeth. "Oh, I don't think ssso…" he hissed.

Sailor Moon threw her tiara again, this time aiming it at Sailor Mars. The raven-haired girl ducked to the side, the tiara only slicing off a few strands of hair. "Sorry about this, Bun-Head…" she said before charging at Moon and winding up a knife-hand. However, Sailor Moon caught the attack with one hand, much to Mars' surprise. The hypnotized heroine proceeded to kick Mars directly in the gut, knocking the wind out of her, followed by a brutal punch to the face that sent the Soldier of Passion reeling. Mars collapsed to the ground and spat out a mix of blood and saliva that formed in her mouth. "How is she this strong?!" she asked, frustrated.

Sailor Moon advanced on the downed Mars, but Mercury suddenly intervened, wrapping Moon into a tight embrace and halting her movement. "Usagi, please stop!" she cried. Sailor Moon simply shook off the Soldier of Water and continued toward Mars. This time, Mercury jumped in front of her and spread her arms, standing protectively in front of the young martial artist. "Come to your senses! The real you would never attack your friends! Snap out of it!" Moon seemed to be ignoring her, but when she found the blue-haired girl standing in her way, she stopped in her tracks.

Kappra hissed in anger. "Interfering pessst! Kill her, SSSailor Moon!"

Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes and raised her fist, preparing to deliver another hard punch. However, as she brought her fist down, Mercury grabbed her wrist with both hands, stopping the attack. "Listen, I need you to come back, because there's something important I have to tell you! Listen to my voice," Mercury pleaded. Sailor Moon seemed to relax for a moment. Her expression changed from dead to confused. Ami even thought she saw her irises return for a moment. It seemed as if the blonde girl was coming back. It was now or never!

"Usagi, I-"

Mercury was cut off by a long, scaly tail snaking around her neck and yanking her away from Sailor Moon. Kappra had jumped down from the stage and now had Sailor Mercury in his clutches. His tail was wrapped around her neck and he was squeezing tight, cutting off the girl's air supply and cracking the ligaments in her spine.

"I will not looose my ssstrongest ssslave!" He held out the Soldier of Wisdom to Sailor Moon. "Now, dessstroy her!"

Sailor Moon took off her tiara once more and turned it into the golden disk. She reared back, ready to throw it and slice her friend in two. Mercury struggled to free herself from Kappra, but she knew it was futile. The snake-man's tail wasn't budging, and Moon was seconds away from throwing her tiara. She felt herself begin to cry, not from the lack of oxygen she was receiving, but from the knowledge that she was not only about to die by the hand of the one she loved, but the knowledge that she would never be able to tell Usagi how she felt…

From out of nowhere, a white-gloved hand grabbed Sailor Moon's, preventing her from throwing the tiara. Tuxedo Mask had arrived on the scene!

"Who the hell are you?!" Kappra screeched.

Tuxedo Mask ignored the monster, choosing instead to help the only way he knew how. He pulled Sailor Moon towards him and kissed her forehead, right on the three gems on her tiara. Moon's eyes went wide, along with Kappra's and Sailor Mars'. Mercury's vision was too dark at this point to see what was going on, but she knew Tuxedo Mask was there, and it gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Wake up, Sailor Moon," the tuxedo-clad man whispered. Sailor Moon's tiara began to glow brightly, nearly as bright as a star. The snake monster and Mars were forced to shield their eyes as the not be blinded by the overwhelming light. When the light faded, Moon's eyes had return to normal, and she began looking around confused.

"What… where am I…" As she looked around, her eyes settled on the man who was holding her. "Tuxedo Mask!" she chirped. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Tuxedo Mask smiled at her, but then put on a serious face. "Your answers right over there."

Sailor Moon followed the man's eyes and saw what he was talking about. A big snake-man was snarling at her, holding Sailor Mercury by the neck with his tail. The blue-haired girl's face was completely red, and she looked to be on the verge of passing out. "Sailor Mercury! Let her go!" she screamed at Kappra.

"You may have broken free of me clutchesss, but now you get to sssee you friend die!" Kappra hossed with joy. He tightened his hold on Sailor Mercury, causing her eyes to go wide. She began clawing at the monster's tail, desperate for air to reach her lungs.

"Use your tiara, quickly!" Tuxedo Mask shouted.

Sailor Moon hesitated. "I can't! What if I hit Mercury?!"

Kappra laughed maniacally. "Sssay goodbye, SSSailor Moon!" The monster clenched the muscles in his tail, squeezing Mercury's neck to the size of a straw. The air-deprived girl felt as if her head was about to pop off.

"FIRE SOUL!"

One of Sailor Mars' fireballs suddenly smashed into Kappra's tail, tearing it in half and releasing Mercury, who immediately took in the biggest gulp of air she probably ever had in her life. As the blue-haired Soldier fell to the ground, Kappra let out an ear-piercing screech, grabbing the scorched stump that was once his tail and trying to pat out the remaining flames.

"Sailor Moon, now!" Mars cried.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The blonde heroine threw her tiara with all her might, sending the disk straight at Kappra's neck. Distracted by his burning tail, the beast was helpless as he was decapitated by Moon's razor-sharp projectile. As the tiara disappeared and reappeared on Moon's forehead, the reptilian monster's body, severed head, and charred tail tip all turned into piles of dust.

* * *

Naru slowly opened her eyes. She found herself lying on a stiff, uncomfortable bed, surrounded by medical tools and men and women dressed in light blue uniforms. She was in the back of an ambulance, and was being treated for, as the EMTs put it, 'possible injuries.' She looked out the back door and saw that there were numerous other ambulances, as well as firetrucks and police cars. Emergency responders of every kind seemed to be treating the people who had been in the Ryoku Starlight crowd.

"Can I please go?" Naru insisted. "I feel fine. I just need to find my boyfriend."

One EMT shook his head. "I'm sorry miss, but you can't leave until we've conducted a thorough examination. Even though you may not feel anything, you still could have suffered minor injuries that could turn serious if left untreated."

Naru sighed and lay her head back down in the uncomfortable gurney. "I hope Mamoru's okay…" she thought.

* * *

Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon stood in the middle of an open field outside the carnival. The blonde heroine gazed at her hero with shimmering eyes. "T-Thank you. You saved me again."

"You have a knack for getting in trouble, little lady," the dark-haired man joked. "Someday, I may not be there to save you."

Sailor Moon raised a fist and smiled at him. "I'll get stronger! Then I'll be able to protect you too!"

Tuxedo Mask smiled back. "I know you will." He turned to go, but Moon stopped him.

"Wait! Just… how did you save me back there?" she asked shyly.

The taller man just tipped his hat to her and smirked. "I just used my heart. It's all I needed." With that, he flipped his cape into the air and took off into the sunset. Sailor Moon watched him go, grinning like a happy little child.

Ami and Rei watched from a distance. Rei mostly just scoffed at the blonde's infatuation with Tuxedo Mask, but when she looked down at Ami, her demeanor changed. The blue-haired girl had tears flowing down from her face. She wasn't making a scene, but her pain and sorrow were clear, especially when Rei felt her chi. The girl was suffering inside, and Rei could feel every ounce of it.

"I didn't realize she meant that much to you," Rei said apologetically.

Ami just nodded. The two girls stood there for a moment in an awkward silence, but then Ami wiped away her tears and stood up straight. "Oh well, I can't do anything about it at this point."

The raven-haired girl looked concerned. "But you haven't told her how you felt yet! If you keep your feelings to yourself, you'll-"

"I know," Ami interrupted. "But I think it would be better for both of us if I just let it go. She likes him, not me. I'll just have… find someone else." She choked out those last few words. "I know I will."

"Sometimes I wonder which one of us is stronger," Rei said, smiling. She put her arm around the blue-haired girl, trying to comfort her as best she could.

Ami gave her friend a light smile in return. She was sad that she had lost Usagi, but there were plenty of girls out there. She would just have to find the right one. The two walked off to meet their blonde bun-headed friend, who was already running back to them and waving cheerily.

* * *

Miles away, an incredibly tall girl with brown hair was strolling down the road. She wore an incredibly fashionable sleeveless button-up blouse and a skirt with a floral pattern on it. She had her hands on the back of her head, as if she were reclining in a chair.

"Man, that carnival sucked. Totally not worth the walk," she said snobbishly.

A loud booming noise suddenly resonated throughout the city. She looked behind her and saw that the sky was turning grey. A light flashed from within the dark clouds, followed by another boom.

"And now a storm's coming… fan-freaking-tastic." She turned back towards the sidewalk and began sprinting away from the oncoming storm.

~A Suivre~


	9. Jupiter, Soldier of Courage

Here is chapter 9! Time to meet the one and only Sailor Jupiter! However, full disclosure, I really don't like her character in the 90s anime, so there's gonna be some big changes here from what most of you are probably used to. Don't worry, she'll still have some of her old traits, but I've always thought her character could use a serious makeover, as well as... you know, some actual development. Oh well, hope you all enjoy it anyway! ;)

* * *

Chapter 9: Jupiter, Soldier of Courage

The doors to the monster barracks burst open, revealing the silver-haired Knight of Shadows, Kunzite. He marched into the dark, shadow-filled room, causing all the monstrous beasts present to stand at attention in complete silence. They made no eye contact with their master, as to do so would be considered disrespect. Abominations like them were not worthy to make eye contact with a knight of the Dark Kingdom unless permitted to do so.

"Mimizu! Come forth!" Kunzite called loudly, sending his booming voice echoing throughout the barracks.

The monsters began murmuring amongst themselves: "Mimizu?" "Master wants him?" "He must be insane…"

Several of the monsters quickly stood aside as a tall, lanky figure obscured by shadows stepped forward, bowing to Kunzite. "Yes, Master Kunzite?"

"Answer me this, Mimizu…" Kunzite said. "Are you hungry?"

A pair of glowing white eyes that belonged to Mimizu shone thorugh the darkness, insanity written all over them. "Hungry? Why, Master… I've been starving for nearly a hundred years."

Kunzite smiled, as if liking what he heard. "Then how would you like an opportunity to satisfy that hunger?"

Mimizu let out a low, snickering chuckle that sounded like the laugh of a demon. "Today, I will feast until the entire human race has been sucked dry…" The monster chest slowly split open, and from the fleshy gap in his torso, several wriggling, slimy tentacles began slithering out.

* * *

Ami slowly paced down the halls of school. She was trying to wrap her head around the decision she had made over the weekend. Despite her efforts, Usagi was clearly in love with Tuxedo Mask, and, for her sake, Ami had decided to let go of her crush. She was just going to have to move on and find someone else. She was going to have to be an adult about this…

"Amiiii!" The nerdy girl heard her bun-headed friend call her name from down the hallway. She turned around and saw the golden-haired girl waving and skipping towards her, a cheerful smile stretched across her face. Usagi brought herself to a stop, nearly colliding with Ami, and looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Can you please help me with some English homework tonight? I took one look at it and it's impossible!"

Ami sighed. "Of course. I'm always glad to help you," she said, smiling back.

"Oh Ami, you're the best!" Usagi chirped as she pulled her blue-haired friend into a tight hug.

Even though she made a promise to herself, Ami felt her heart accelerate and her cheeks flush upon making contact with Usagi. Could she really do this? Could she really let go of someone who made her so happy?

"WAAUUGGH!" Usagi cried as she suddenly fell face-first towards the tiled floor.

Ami gasped and knelt down to her fallen friend. "Oh my gosh! Are you alright? What happened?"

Usagi began whimpering as she held her nose. "Owww… my nose… I think somebody tripped me!"

"I didn't trip you. You walked into my foot," a voice scoffed from above them.

Usagi and Ami looked up to where the voice came from, only to find themselves being towered over by an extremely tall brunette girl who was leaning against the lockers in a relaxed state. What caught the two off guard however was her attire. She wasn't wearing the normal blue school uniform, but instead a tan one with a longer skirt and a different neckerchief. Usagi noticed that she was also wearing a pair of pink flower-shaped earrings.

The tall girl looked down at them with no emotions present on her face. "You two should really watch where you're stepping."

"Hey! That's not nice!" Usagi pouted.

"She's right! You should apologize," Ami scolded.

The brunette just huffed again and began walking away. "I never apologize," she said very straightforwardly.

Ami helped Usagi to her feet. "Geez, what's her problem?" the blonde asked.

"She's new to the school," Naru said, suddenly appearing from behind the two. "Her name is Makoto Kino, and from what I've heard she's as tough as they come."

"And as rude as they come…" Usagi added with a pout.

"Rumor has it she got kicked out of her old school for beating up a guy who was on the baseball team," Naru continued. "If I were you, I'd steer clear of her as best as I could."

From down the hall, the three girls could see a teacher, who was a short and stocky man, confronting Makoto. "Hey, do you go here? Why aren't you wearing the school uniform?" he chastised.

Makoto leaned over the shorter man and glared down at him. "I do go here, but your stupid uniform doesn't come in my size. Although I can understand why someone like you wouldn't believe a girl as big as me exists." With that, she walked away, leaving the small teacher dumbfounded and quite frightened.

"Man, she's scary," Usagi said.

"And pretty…" Ami whispered.

Naru and Usagi shot her a look. "What?!" they asked simultaneously.

"Uh… nothing! I just need to get to class!" the shy girl said, taking off in the opposite direction.

"I can never read that girl…" Naru mumbled.

* * *

A man dressed in a sharp business suit was walking down a busy street, carrying a big brown suitcase in his hand. He looked down at his watch. It was ten till nine.

"Dammit, I gonna be late!" he said, frustrated.

He soon found himself coming upon an alleyway. Knowing that his office was a block over, he decided to take a shortcut and go down the alley. As he turned down it, he quickly noticed how dark and dirty it was. Barely any sunlight reached the ground, the closest trace of it being nearly halfway up the two surrounding buildings. There wasn't a single person in sight, not even a homeless person. He could hear what sounded like feral cats either fighting or mating, and neither thought was something the man wanted to see.

As he walked down the alley, he accidentally stepped in a puddle of filthy dumpster water. He looked down at his now soaked leather shoes.

"There goes six thousand yen…" he muttered.

As he looked down at his feet, he noticed the water in the puddle was rippling. He could feel no wind, so why was the water being disturbed? He then noticed a faint tremor in the ground, so small it was barely noticeable, but it was definitely there.

"An earthquake?" the man asked himself.

He looked back out to the street, but none of the people walking by seemed to be reacting to the tremor he was feeling. Suddenly, he heard a loud, splitting crack as the asphalt around him erupted. Several slimy tentacles burst from the ground and snared the man's arms, legs, torso, and neck. He tried to shout for help, but his voice was cut off by the appendages around his neck. He then felt himself began to grow weak. His body lost all of its strength, and he could no longer stand. His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless. The tentacles unwrapped themselves and slithered back into the ground, leaving behind the man's body and several holes in the ground. Nobody from the street heard nor saw the incident.

* * *

"Alright, let's go over some of the things we learned today in English," Ami said. She and Usagi were now walking home from school, headed to Ami's house for an English tutoring session.

"Awww, can't you just give me the answers? It would get everything done a lot faster for both of us!" Usagi whined.

Ami sighed. "Usagi, you need to know this stuff by heart, otherwise you'll never do well on tests. Plus, it would be a big waste of my time and yours."

Usagi hugged her friend's arm. "Ami! You know I'd never waste your time!"

Ami blushed a little from Usagi's contact, but quickly regained her composure, remembering her decision. "Of course I know. I just wanted to make a point. Now, let's go over something simple." She thought for a moment, then turned to her blonde friend. "Translate this into English: 'Konichiwa, watashi no namae wa Usagi desu.'"

"Oh, that's an easy one!" Usagi beamed. "Okay, uh… Hello! My na… um… my nah-mee is Usagi!"

Ami smiled and shook her head. "Almost, but it's not pronounced nah-mee. Try again."

Usagi took a dramatic deep breath, as if she were about to run a marathon. "Hello, my… nay-mee is-"

"No, no…" Ami interrupted. "Here, repeat after me: Hello, my NAME is Usagi."

"Hello, my NAME is Usagi," the bun-head repeated.

"Again. Hello, my name is- MMPH!"

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Mmph? I don't think that's right, Ami…"

"Hey! Are you payin' attention?!" a gruff voice shouted from behind her. Usagi turned around and saw a buff man with a tank top and baggy pants holding a knife to Ami's throat. His hand was over her mouth, preventing her from screaming, but still showing her eyes, which were wide with fear. "Hand over everything in your bag or your friend dies!"

"Ami!" Usagi screamed.

"And don't try callin' for help either!" the man barked. "One wrong move and she gets it," he said, bringing the knife closer to Ami.

Usagi was panicking. Her eyes darted around, looking for someone who might be close by to help, but there seemed to be no other people around at the moment. She thought about transforming into Sailor Moon, but she couldn't do that out here in the open!

"Hurry up!" the man hissed.

Usagi tensed up, but realized that if she didn't act now, Ami would die. "I have no choice," she whispered. She reached up and gripped her Transformation Brooch, causing Ami to shake her head wildly. "Sorry, Luna…"

"MOON PRISM-"

Suddenly, a hand shot forth from behind the big man and grabbed the arm holding the knife. It pulled the sharp weapon away from Ami's throat and twisted his arm behind his back. Usagi was shocked, but quickly stopped her transformation call. She stood on her toes to see who had intervened, and saw that Makoto Kino had appeared behind the man, and was now pinning the man's arm behind his back. The man grunted in pain and relaxed his hold on Ami, who ran into Usagi's arms, gasping for breath.

"If there's one thing I hate more than tough guys…" Makoto said before twisting the man's wrist, causing him to drop the knife. "It's tough guys who pick on helpless little girls." The tall brunette proceeded to pull the man's arm over her shoulder and slam him into the hard concrete sidewalk. The impact immediately knocked the wind out of him and fractured his shoulder blade. "Now piss off," Makoto snapped. She kicked him in the ribs, not allowing him time to regain his breath. He struggled to him feet and limped off down the street, clutching his injured shoulder.

"Ami, are you okay?" Usagi asked, hugging her friend tightly. The blue-haired girl was trembling, clearly shaken up from what just happened. Usagi tenderly stroked her back, trying to calm her down. She turned to Makoto, who was dusting off the skirt of her tan uniform. "Um… thanks…"

"Don't mention it. I just hate guys like that." She never made eye contact with Usagi as she spoke.

"Hey, aren't you that new girl? What was your name?" Usagi asked, smiling.

Makoto shot the blonde girl a look. "What's it to you? You want my number or something too?" Not waiting for a response, she began walking away from the two girls, casually brushing past them as if they weren't' there.

Ami watched the girl go. The shy girl felt her heart begin to pound at the sight of her. She was truly a beauty, even more so than Usagi, even though that didn't seem possible until now. As Makoto went on her way, Ami felt a sinking feeling in her chest, as if this was the last time she was going to see her, and she didn't want that. On impulse, she ran up to Makoto and grabbed her sleeve, bringing her to a stop.

"Wait! Are you alright? Did he hurt you at all?" Ami rambled.

Makoto huffed. "As if a guy like that could hurt me." She looked down at Ami. Now that the nerdy girl had a full view of her face, she appeared even more beautiful than before. "Look, if you're trying to be friends with me, don't bother. I have no intention of making friends while I'm here. I just want to finish middle school and hopefully go to a high school somewhere far away. So just buzz off, alright?"

Makoto shook off Ami's hand and continued walking away. However, before she could make it three steps, Usagi ran up to her as well. "Aw c'mon Makoto! Just hang out with us for awhile! I'm sure we can all be friends if you just give it a shot."

Ami placed a hand on her shoulder. "Usagi, just let it go. We're clearly bothering her."

"But I really wanna show her the arcade!" the blonde girl whined.

"No. We need to study to make sure you understand that English homewo-" She was cut off by Makoto suddenly standing over them.

"Did you say… an arcade?"

* * *

RAAAR! ZAP! BOOM!

"BEEP, BEEP, BOOP, BEEP" went the Sailor V arcade game as Usagi pounded away at the buttons and jerked the joystick around. It seemed like she was trying to figure out random combos through pure luck. However, all that ended up happening was the Sailor V sprite shooting lasers in random directions, barely knocking off any of the enemy's health while her health depleted rapidly.

Makoto and Ami watched from the sidelines, with the brunette becoming more and more agitated by the minute. "Girl, you're not even doing it right. You're just button mashing!" she finally said.

Usagi just kept on playing, pounding the buttons so hard she might have broken them. "Whatever, I'm sure I'll get somewhere eventually!"

"I know…" Makoto said before knocking Usagi aside with her hip and taking control of the game. "How about I give it a try?" With a simple three-button combo, the enemy was dead in a matter of seconds. "Boom!" Makoto said in a cocky tone.

"Heyyy! It was my turn!" Usagi cried.

Makoto gestured to a second set of controls. "You know this is a two player game, right?"

The blonde's face lit up. "Wow! I never noticed that before! Scoot over, Mako!"

"Mako?" The brunette muttered as Usagi sat down next to her and pressed the Player Two Start. A sprite of a small white cat appeared on the screen.

"Aw, what?! I wanna be Sailor V!" she complained.

Mako rolled her eyes. "Girl, I'm Sailor V. You're the cat."

"But I don't wanna be Artemis! He can't even shoot! All he can do is jump high! How does that help me beat up monsters?"

"Geez, calm down!" Mako chastised. "Let's play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to be Sailor V."

Usagi quickly faced the tall girl. "You're on!" They each cupped a fist in their palm and recited the game phrase.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors, SHOOT!"

Usagi threw down her fist, signifying rock, while Mako threw down her thumb and forefinger.

"HA! Gun beats rock!" she cheered. "Look like I'm Sailor V!"

Usagi made a moe face. "Who's big idea was it to add 'gun' to this game…" she pouted. Reluctantly, she turned to the controls and began controlling the sprite for Artemis, the white cat and Sailor V's partner in crime (or her stereotypical cute animal sidekick).

Ami watched them play. She smiled at seeing Makoto's playful side, which showed a huge contrast to the way she acted earlier. Perhaps video games were a weak spot for her. Ami would have to remember that if she ever asked her…

"Looks like you guys have a new friend," Motoki said, walking up next to Ami. "She's quite pretty."

"Yeah, she is…" Ami said, blushing a little.

"Yes! High score!" Mako cheered, throwing her hands in the air.

Usagi just made a sad face. "No fair! Artemis is so weak!"

Motoki smiled and nudged Ami. "About time someone besides you got on the leaderboard, huh?"

Ami forced a laugh as a cartoonish bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. While she did enjoy the Sailor V game, sometimes she got a little carried away. Thankfully, she knew when enough was enough, as she had no intention of becoming an otaku.

"Woah, what's this?" Mako said curiously. Ami looked over, and her eyes went wide. Due to Mako's high score, a prize had dropped out of the game. It was a green pen with a golden cap, and it looked exactly like hers and Rei's Transformation Pens. "I didn't know arcade games gave out prizes these days."

"Is that…?" Ami whispered, unable to finish her sentence out of pure disbelief.

Usagi didn't seem to notice. "Dangit! I'm out of lives!" she cried as her Artemis sprite lay on the floor, a pair of huge X's over his eyes. The words 'Continue' flashed overhead, with a timer counting down from twenty below it. "Motoki, can you lend me some extra credits?"

The young man sighed. "Sure thing, Usa." He dug into his pocket, pulled out a few quarters, and walked over to hand them to Usagi.

"Oh, by the way! Mako, this is my friend Motoki! He's the owner of this arcade and my personal gameplay advisor," the bun-headed girl chirped.

"You mean your personal credits loaner," Motoki added.

Mako looked over to meet this guy, and immediately froze. He looked so familiar. His eyes… his hair… his smile… was it him? "Y-you… you look like… like…" Her heart began to pound like crazy.

"Um, are you okay Mako?" Usagi asked, waving a hand in front of the girl's face. The brunette immediately snapped out of her daze and stood up.

"I gotta go," she said very bluntly. As she walked out of the arcade, she turned around and glared at Usagi and Ami. "And don't follow me!" With that, she was gone.

Motoki and the two girls were scratching their heads. They all stared blankly at the door for awhile. "What was that about?" Motoki asked.

Suddenly, a string of depressing 8-bit music could be heard coming from the Sailor V game. "Game Over?! NOOO! I DIDN'T PUT THE CREDITS IN FAST ENOUGH!" Usagi wailed.

* * *

Makoto walked as fast as she could. She just wanted to get away from that arcade and that guy Usagi introduced her to. Running out of breath, she slowed down and stopped for a moment, panting heavily. She had been speed-walking for almost three blocks now, and caught up in her own thoughts she had forgotten to breathe properly. She had to remember: in through the nose, out through the mouth. Once the brunette had recovered, she went back to thinking about what had just happened.

"He looked just like him," she said to herself. "Dammit, it can't be him! There's no way…"

Someone walking by bumped into her, causing both of them to stumble. It was a tall man in tracksuit, who had been jogging by. "Watch it, girlie" he snapped before continuing on his way.

"You watch it, asshole!" Makoto shouted after him. She turned away and kept walking, a scowl imprinted in her face. "Tough guys… damn 'em all!" she sneered.

Makoto continued walking down the same street for awhile, only now at a more leisurely place. She found herself beginning to wander outside the city and more towards the suburban area. Of course, she still lived further than this, but at least she was getting close. Walking long distances happened to be another thing she hated. The tall brunette soon found herself walking past a hill with an odd-looking building on top of it. She also noticed a set of stone steps leading down from it to the sidewalk, as well as a young girl with black hair sweeping leaves and dirt off the steps. Makoto ignored all of this as she passed the hill, but as she crossed the staircase, she heard a sudden gasp. She looked around and saw the black-haired girl staring down at her.

"What was that for?" Makoto asked bluntly.

The raven-haired girl bowed. "Forgive me, I just sensed a disturbance in your chi and it startled me."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "My chi? Look, talk sense, why don't ya?" Without a response, the girl walked down the stairs and stepped onto the sidewalk. Still not speaking, she walked right up to Makoto. "Whoa, back up lady. Personal space…"

"Please, just give me a second…" The girl closed her amethyst eyes and stood still for a moment. Makoto felt incredibly awkward. Who was this girl, and what did she think she was doing? Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she gasped again, startling Makoto.

"Could you stop doing that?!" she said, raising her voice.

"Kami-sama… your chi, I-I've never felt anything like it. You're in a great deal of pain!" the raven-haired girl insisted.

Makoto grimaced, as if disgusted by the girl's words. "Pain? Gah, I don't have to listen to this!" She quickly stormed away, clearly upset by the girl's words.

"How rude…" Rei muttered.

"Why did you stop her?" Grandpa Hino said, who had come down after hearing the commotion. "Were you concerned about her?"

Rei rubbed the back of her head. "Not really… I just felt a bad vibe coming from her and I wanted to see if my psychic abilities were improving."

The old man laughed and patted his granddaughter's back. "Well, it appears that they are," he complimented. "Just try not to do that to random people on the street. Otherwise, everyone will think you're weird."

Rei laughed a little. "People already think we're weird, Sensei." She looked down the sidewalk and saw the tall brown-haired girl in the distance. "Her chi… why did it feel so familiar?"

* * *

Usagi stumbled through her front door, mentally exhausted from Ami's tutoring session and physically exhausted from the walk home. Of course, she hadn't really paid much attention to Ami's lesson, as they had decided to just have their little session at the arcade. This, of course, turned out to be a big mistake, as Usagi found it impossible to focus. Most of the "tutoring" had consisted of Usagi pretending to listen while she watched people play video games in the background, preventing Ami from noticing this by letting out a 'yeah' or a 'got it' every so often. In the end, it ended up just being Ami doing Usagi's homework again.

"I'm hoooome…" Usagi announced, her voice trailing off at the end.

"My goodness dear, you were out late!" Mrs. Tsukino said from the living room. "It's not like you to miss dinner."

Usagi continued to slug towards the stairs. "Yeah, well, I had a snack at the arcade," she said, glancing at her mother briefly.

Mr. Tsukino, who was sitting next to his wife on the couch, poked his head around the cushions. "How did the tutoring go today? Did your friend teach you anything new?"

"I guess you could say that…" Usagi droned, no emotion in her voice. "I think I'm just gonna go to bed now."

"Really?" her father asked, somewhat surprised. "Aren't you going to have some desser-"

He was cut off by his wife slapping a hand over his mouth. "Alright, dear! Sleep tight!" she called to her daughter. Usagi only nodded a little before making her way slowly up the stairs. "You and I both know she needs to lay off the sweets," she whispered to her husband.

"Sorry, I'm so used to her stuffing her face with ice cream every night that I kind of expect it now," he chuckled.

Mrs. Tsukino sighed. "I suppose it can't be helped."

Her husband put and arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "You know, since the kids are asleep, maybe we could share a little 'dessert'…" he whispered.

"Kenji!" Mrs. Tsukino chastised. "I doubt either of them are asleep yet!"

"Sorry, sorry," Mr. Tsukino apologized again, loosening his hold on his wife a little. "We can still cuddle though, right?" he asked hopefully.

The purple-haired woman kissed his cheek and smiled. "Of course, honey. Anytime."

The couple leaned into each other and relaxed, watching the news currently airing on the TV. However, in their relaxed state, they failed to notice the horrifying report that was on screen:

"Breaking News. A man was found dead this afternoon in an alleyway. The crime scene matched the seven others that were reported this morning: a body with numerous marks around the limbs and neck, several holes in the ground, and no witnesses. Authorities suspect the culprit to be another one of the monsters that have been appearing all over the city lately, only this one seems to strike lone victims in dark areas. Citizens are advised to avoid alleys and dark streets and to stay indoors all night. We can only hope that the Sailor Soldiers will deal with this threat as soon as possible."

* * *

Ami closed the door behind her and walked into her apartment, finding her mom washing the dishes in the kitchen. She apparently didn't hear her come in over the running water from the sink.

"Hi mom," Ami said softly.

Mrs. Mizuno turned away from the sink and smiled, shutting it off. "I was getting worried. Where were you all this time?"

Ami's eyes darted to the left. "I was… tutoring someone again."

"Ah, wonderful!" her mother sad cheerily. She then put on a mischievous grin. "Was it a boy?" she asked expectantly.

The blue-haired girl looked disgusted. "What? No! It was just Usagi, mom!"

The woman's expression dropped. "Oh. Very well then." She was about to turn the sink water back on but then looked at her daughter once more. "You were out very late with her. You two weren't doing anything out of the ordinary, were you?"

"Mom, please not now," Ami pleaded.

"I need to be sure you two didn't engage in any… funny business!" She choked out those last few words as if they were poison.

"We did not!" Ami cried. Her mother looked stunned at the shy girl's sudden outburst, causing her to shrink away again. "Look… I've given up on her. She's in love with someone else, so I'm no longer interested in her."

Mrs. Mizuno looked relieved. "I'm glad to hear that. I hope you'll choose your next crush more wisely," she said sternly.

"Yes, mom," Ami croaked, bowing her head. She turned away from her mother and walked off to her room. She set her backpack down near the edge of her bed and flopped back onto it, staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes wandered towards the window, and she noticed the full moon floating in the black night sky. "I can't believe I said that out loud… I guess I really have given up on her," Ami said, almost in a tone that pitied herself.

As if the sky was reading her mind, a group of clouds suddenly blocked out the full moon, obstructing it from the girl's view and extinguishing its silver glow.

* * *

Makoto watched as the moon was overtaken by clouds, cutting off any natural light that filled the night. She had gone out for a late walk, as she usually did before she went to bed. Every day just put so much tension on her that she needed some cool, fresh night air to relieve her stress. Plus, this was the only time of day she could be alone, which was like Heaven for her. The tall girl was now out of the suburbs and back in the city. She was making her way down a side street, with a local park on the other side of the road. She was still debating as to whether she wanted to go for a walk in the park or start heading home. It was getting late, and she was pretty tired.

Out of the blue, she saw a familiar face walking parallel to her across the street. It was that guy she had met at the arcade earlier that day! What did that blonde girl say his name was… Motoki, that was it. Her heart began to pound again as she repeatedly glanced over at him. He looked exactly like 'him.' What if this guy was 'him?' Had he followed her all the way from her old school, trying to have another shot at her? If that was the case, he wouldn't be leaving this town with his life!

Just then, Motoki turned off the sidewalk and headed through a tall black gate that led into the park. Makoto stopped in her tracks and watched him. On instinct, she jogged across the street, light enough so that he wouldn't hear her coming after him, and followed him into the park. The brunette didn't know exactly why she was following the young man at first, but an aching feeling inside her just had to know who this guy really was. If it was really 'him,' then he would find himself in a hospital by the time the sun rose. She trailed Motoki through the stone pathway that snaked throughout the grassy, tree-filled park, their path lit by numerous lamps that lined the concrete. Makoto found herself walking slightly faster now, trying to keep pace with the blonde boy. As she got closer to him, her heart began to race faster and faster. She felt like if she didn't say something to this guy, her chest was going to implode.

"Hey!" she called out.

Before Motoki could respond, several slithering tentacles exploded from the ground and grabbed the shocked young man. He screamed as loud as he could as the tentacles wrapped around all four of himself limbs and his neck. Suddenly, he was no longer able to speak as he felt the tentacles tighten around his body, and he now felt like his strength, and his life, were begging sucked right out of him. He could no longer move, and he could scarcely breathe.

"Motoki!" Makoto shouted as she ran over to the helpless man. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, nor did she care. If she didn't do something, Motoki was going to die.

The brunette ran up to the blonde man, who was still being held by the tentacles only now he was not longer fighting back. He had gone completely limp. Makoto went to work, grabbing the slippery tendrils and trying desperately to pull them off of Motoki. Even though they were slimy, they were backed by incredible strength, making it difficult to get them to even budge. Makoto looked around for something to use as a weapon, and her eyes settled on a thick branch that had fallen off nearby tree. She ran over, got the stick, and stabbed the sharper end into one of the tentacles. She heard what sounded like a mix between an alligator's hiss and a dolphin's scream from beneath the ground. The tentacles released their grip on Motoki and sunk back into the ground, leaving several holes in the stone path.

"Motoki!" Makoto knelt down to the man, hoping she wasn't looking with a dead body. She leaned down to his face a listened or signs of life. Thankfully, he was still breathing, but it was very hoarse and labored. Not wasting any time, Makoto reached into her pocket for her cell phone to call for an ambulance.

KABOOM!

The pathway cracked and split open once again, sending chunks of stone and concrete flying into the air. Makoto shield her eyes as pebbles and dust were thrown against her. She was grateful none of it got in her eyes. When she looked back up, there was now a hole in the ground about three feet across, and standing above the hole was a humanoid figure obscured by the dust. As it cleared up, she was able to make out features: Its body was a dark pink color, and it looked very slimy and slippery. The skin was translucent, showing red and blue veins, and had a ring-like pattern that spanned the entire body. Its hands and feet ended in a set of long claws. However, the head was the most striking feature. There were a pair of blank white eyes with no pupils, but nothing else. No nose, no mouth, no ears.

Makoto was about to spout some profane comment about how ugly this thing was, but the monster's chest suddenly split open, and nearly a dozen tentacles spilled out and lunged at her. She swung a fist at the first one she saw, managing to knock it away, but immediately after a second tentacle came in and snared her arm. Before long, she found herself in the same position as Motoki. Her arms, legs, and neck were all caught in the monster's tentacles, and she felt as if her strength was being drained out of her.

"What… the hell… are you…?" the tall girl coughed, trying to catch her breath.

Even though it had no mouth, Makoto could swear she saw the abomination smiling. "Honey, hush…" was all it said.

From a distance, just outside the black fence that lined the perimeter of the park, a man in a tuxedo and a cape watched the horrific scene with a disgusted scowl. He couldn't let this go on. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Usagi was sound asleep on top of her bed. On any normal night she would be snuggled up beneath the covers in her pink bunny pajamas, but tonight she had just collapsed on the top of the covers, still in her school uniform. Despite that, she was sleeping like a baby, and snoring like a grizzly bear. Luna was doing her best to get sleep herself, but was stuck hiding under the bed with her paws clamped over her ears. Even then, it seemed next to impossible to block out the girl's thunderous snores.

The young blonde's beauty sleep was disturbed when she felt a cool breeze run across her back. It sent a shiver down her spine, but it wasn't enough to wake her entirely. She simply rolled over and tried to find a warmer spot.

"Sailor Moon, wake up!" a voice whispered urgently.

Usagi's eyes began to blink open. "Ugh… five more minutes…" As her vision came into focus, she saw a dark figure poised on her windowsill, with a long cape billowing in the night air behind him. The girl's eyes immediately went wide as she realized who it was. "Tuxedo Mask?! Wha-"

The man quickly put a finger over his mouth, shushing her. "There's a monster in the park. Come with me, quickly!" He reached out to her with a white-gloved hand.

"A monster? But, it's so late, and I'm so tired..." Her eyes began to drift closed again.

Not willing to wait anymore, Tuxedo Mask grabbed the girl's hand. "The monster is attacking people! I can't fight it alone," he insisted.

Usagi was reluctant. She wasn't even sure if she could fight with how exhausted she was. But if people were in danger, she really had no choice. "Alright, just let me sneak out the front- GAH!" she squealed as Tuxedo Mask suddenly pulled her into a bridal-style carry and leapt out the window with her in his arms. Luckily, the man was nimble on his feet, and the two landed on the gourd below without a scratch. "You're crazy…" Usagi said, stunned by what just happened.

"Follow me, and hurry!" Tuxedo Mask said, taking off down the street.

Usagi followed after him, trying to keep pace despite her sleepy state. She brought her communicator up to her mouth and turned it on. "Ami! Rei! There's a monster in the park and it's attacking some people! I'm following Tuxedo Mask there right now. Please, I need your help!"

Ami responded immediately. "Okay, I'll be right there!"

"You really have the worst sense of time, Bun-Head!" Rei said, sounded tired herself.

"Says the one who got mad at me for not wanting to wake up a few nights ago!" Usagi retorted, not really in the mood for Rei's comments tonight. Lowering the communicator, she took her Transformation Brooch off her collar and held it up.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

Luna slowly lifted a paw off her ear. She wasn't sure, but she couldn't hear Usagi snoring anymore. At first, she thought she might be able to finally get some sleep, but soon realized that Usagi had never not snored before, so either she was awake or something was wrong. The black cat crawled out from under the girl's bed and peeked up over the edge. Her eyes shot open wide at what she saw. Usagi was nowhere in sight, and the window was wide open, curtain flowing in the incoming breeze.

"Usagi!" Luna said panicked. She hopped up to the windowsill and looked around outside for any sign of the girl. Her eyes caught movement on the street, and as she looked over she saw Usagi, now transformed into Sailor Moon, chasing Tuxedo Mask down the road. "Oh no…" Luna said quietly, concern all over her voice.

* * *

Makoto grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut as tight as she could, doing her best to call forth any strength she had left. Despite this, she felt it being drained away and her body began to go numb. It took all her effort and concentration to stay on her feet.

"My, my… you're quite the resilient piece of meat, aren't you?" Mimizu hissed smugly. "No matter. Soon I will have devoured all of your energy, and I will deliver it to our great ruler!"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about… but I won't let it happen!" Makoto shouted. She soon regretted this, finding her raised voice to be a huge strain on her body, and it cost her a good portion of what little strength she had left.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Mimizu and Makoto looked over to where the voice came from. Standing in the light of a lamppost, as if it were a spotlight, were three young girls dressing in sailor uniforms.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

Mimizu glared at the newcomers. "I've never been interrupted while feasting before! You'll pay for this!" he hissed.

"Release that girl now!" Mars demanded. She wound up her arm and formed a fireball.

"FIRE-"

Before she could throw it, Mimizu used his tentacles to drag Makoto in front of him, using her as a meat shield. "Go ahead! I've always wanted to try my food cooked!" He laughed at his own joke while the Soldiers tried to figure out a way around him. "Don't bother! In mere moments, I will have absorbed all of this weakling's energy! Then she'll be nothing but a lifeless husk!" As Mimizu continued to laugh, Makoto's eyes drifted back open.

"Weak… ling?" she growled. "Who… are you… calling weak?!" With every last bit of strength the had, Makoto grabbed Mimizu's tentacles and supported herself. "I'm… gonna… kick your ass… once I get out of here…" she said, barely able to speak.

"Makoto!" Ami cried. "Usagi, it's her!"

"So you know this girl then?" Mimizu sneered. "Say your goodbyes! I can feel her slipping away in my grasp!"

It was true. Makoto felt herself slipping. She was no longer able to breath, and she felt her heartbeat come to a slow, agonizing stop. Her vision began to go dark around the edges. She tried to keep her hold on the tentacles and support herself, but it was no use. She was falling.

FLASH!

Without warning, a bright green light blazed from the tall girl's forehead, chasing away the shadows of the night and illuminating the entire park. Everyone present was forced to shield their eyes so their retinas would not be burned away. Mimizu released his tentacles from the girl so he could cover his eyes. He was especially vulnerable given all the time he spent underground, away from light such as this. When the brilliant glow faded, Makoto was left standing there, her strength returned, and a green symbol emblazoned on her forehead.

Luna arrived on the scene, in awe at the sight before her. "I don't believe it… the mark of Jupiter!"

"She's a Sailor Soldier!" Usagi beamed. She turned to the black cat. "Luna! Tell her to transform!"

Before anyone could do anything, Makoto suddenly took off in the direction of the park entrance, fleeing from the action. Everyone was left dumbfounded, not sure what to do now.

"Where's she going?" Mercury asked.

"She's running away!" Mars said, angry. "What a coward…"

"So, my meal has escaped…" Mimizu snarled, his vision returning. "I suppose I'll just have to settle for you three! The energy of Sailor Soldiers must be the tastiest on this planet!"

"You won't be taking anyone else's energy tonight!" Mars shouted. She formed another fireball in her hand. "Let's give this another shot…"

"FIRE SOUL!"

Sailor Mars threw the fireball at Mimizu, intending to set his head ablaze. However, the worm-like monster summoned forth his tentacles and used them to intercept the fire. In an instant, the attack was sucked into the tendrils like a vacuum.

"What…? What happened?" Mars asked, baffled.

Mercury tapped her earring and brought up her visor. She scanned the monster, and dozens of red circles immediately appeared over the tentacles with the words 'Danger' below them.

"His tentacles can absorb energy. We need to avoid them at all costs," Mercury informed.

"Any ideas on how to stop him?" Sailor Moon asked.

The Soldier of Water continued to scan the beast. "It looks like most of his body is armored… except…" she paused.

"Except what?" Mars insisted.

Mercury looked nervous. "Except the area where his tentacles extend out from. That's the only spot on his body with no armor." She de-materialized her visor. "We're going to have to stun him, then score a direct hit in that area."

"Well we'd better think fast!" Usagi cried, pointing at the monster. The other girls looked over, and, thanks to their fast reflexes, managed to leap out of the way of six or so incoming tentacles.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The blue-haired girl summoned a cold mist from her hands, enveloping Mimizu and causing him to lose his sight again. To the monster's relief though, no pain accompanied his blindness. What did accompany it was a deathly cold that caused him to shiver uncontrollably. The underground had been cold, but this was arctic levels of freezing. He looked around, raising his tentacles in defense and awaiting an attack from his enemies.

"Sailor Moon, now!" the monster heard Sailor Mercury shout. He then noticed a faint white glow through the mist, followed by the dark outline of a girl with two long pigtails.

Sailor Moon squeezed the crown stud on her tiara between her thumb and forefinger, causing the three red gems embedded in it to glow. She looked up to the sky and saw the cloud beginning to separate, opening up a clearing for the full moon to shine through. The golden-haired soldier now had all she needed for her next move.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

A wave of bright white light shot out of Moon's tiara, heading straight for Mimizu. Still blinded by the mist, the worm-man had no idea what was coming. He did notice the faint light at the edge of the mist begin to grow larger and larger, but by then it was too late. The light washed over Mimizu, and the monster let out a cry of pain as the light burned his thick skin. The force of the light caused Mercury's mist to disperse, but thankfully Mimizu was caught in the blast. Sailor Moon stood back and looked at her handiwork.

"Did I get him?" she asked hopefully. To her horror however, as the dust cleared, she saw that Mimizu's tentacles had wrapped around every inch of his body, forming a protective cocoon. She also noticed that sparks of light from her Twilight Flash were sinking into the skin of the tentacles, being absorbed by the vampiric beast.

"Heh… you're a fool, Sailor Moon. My tentacles have a mind of their own, and they will never allow me to be harmed." His tentacles fully unraveled from his body and perked up, as if they were snakes ready to strike. "I do thank you for the energy though. The Moon has quite an… exquisite taste…" With that, he sent his tendrils flying at Sailor Moon. Before she could evade, they smashed into her torso and sent her skidding painfully across the ground. Sailor Mars ran to her side, helping her to her feet.

"How dare you!" Mercury shouted, charging headlong at Mimizu. The slimy beast only snickered to himself, quickly snagging her by the neck with his tentacles.

"Mercury!" Moon and Mars screamed simultaneously.

"MOON TIARA-"

"FIRE-"

Not willing to let either of them finish their attacks, Mimizu sent the other half of his tentacles after the two. The Soldiers of Justice and Fire were quickly ensnared by the slippery appendages, lifted into the air, and slammed back into the ground, rendering them both unconscious.

"Guys… no…" Mercury gasped, trying to call for her friends. Unfortunately, all she got was tighter grip on her neck.

"Silence! My food is not meant to speak!" Mimizu began sucking the energy out of the Soldier of Wisdom.

From a distance, Luna watched on in absolute horror. The soldiers were in a bind, and there didn't seem to be any way out of it. Except… "Makoto!" Luna cried to herself. She quickly began chasing after the brunette, hoping to catch her before it was too late.

* * *

Makoto kept running until she was just outside the park gates. Once there, she stopped, put her hands on her knees and caught her breath. She couldn't believe what just happened, nor did she want to.

"Alright, I just gotta go home, pack my stuff, and get the hell out of here," she told herself. "But first, I'll bake some cookies for the road!"

"Makoto!" The brunette turned around and saw that black cat chasing after her, stopping where she was. "You have to come back and help!"

"You're joking, right?" Makoto scoffed.

Luna pointed back the way they came. "That monster has Sailor Moon and the others pinned down! They'll die if you don't do anything!"

"Sorry kitty, but the needs of me outweigh the needs of you," she said, crossing her arms. "Besides, what do you expect me to do? That freak was straight out of a horror movie! And everyone dies in horror movies!"

"You have your Transformation Pen," Luna informed. "Use it to turn into Sailor Jupiter!"

Makoto looked confused. "You mean my prize from the arcade?" She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out the green and gold prize. "Oh yeah, I guess I never took this out…"

"Hold it up to the sky and shout 'Jupiter Power, Make up!'" the cat instructed.

Makoto scowled down at the feline. "Will I have to wear a stupid outfit like theirs?"

"Yes, but that's not important right now! I'm begging you, if you don't save them, the world is doomed!" Luna pleaded, now pawing at the girl's leg.

Makoto hesitated. She looked from Luna to her pen, then back to Luna, and then back to her pen again. All the while, her expression kept sinking further and further into frustration.

"Makoto…"

"Shut up! Another word and I won't do it!" the tall girl interrupted. She stared down at her pen and gripped it tightly. "If it'll get you off my case… then let's go!"

"JUPITER POWER! MAKE UP!"

Using her pen, Makoto drew out the symbol for Jupiter in front of her and touched it. She felt a jolt of electricity as bolts of lightning suddenly erupted from the symbol and struck her body. However, she felt no pain or burn despite the intensity of the bolts. The lightning condensed around several parts of her body, including her torso, arms, and legs. Suddenly, the lightning burst into a shower of sparks, and Makoto now found herself adorned in a white sailor outfit with a green skirt, a pair of white gloves, and a pair of green combat boots. Finally, where the symbol for Jupiter was on her forehead, a golden tiara with a green gem embedded in the center materialized, completing her transformation.

* * *

Mimizu kept his grip tight around Mercury's neck. The girl was still choking for air, but nonetheless she was alive. She looked over to Usagi and Rei, who were still lying unconscious on the ground, covered in dirt, scrapes and bruises. The worm-like monster narrowed his blank eyes. "How long do you intend to hold your breath?"

Ami let out a gasping chuckle. "Well… I am on my school's swim team… it's kind of a skill I need to have…"

"Is that so? Well, in that case…" Mimizu squeezed his tentacles even tighter, and Ami felt her windpipe completely collapse. "I'll just crush everything else in your neck!" The monster began laughing maniacally as he strangled the helpless girl.

WHA-BAM!

A tall, slender, and fit girl in a white and green sailor uniform slammed her foot into the side of Mimizu's head, sending the humanoid worm flying across the pavement and releasing Mercury from his grasp. The now weakened girl felt her knees buckle as she landed on the ground, but she then felt herself being caught by someone. She looked up and saw Makoto standing over her, only now she was dressed as a Sailor Soldier.

"Makoto…?" the blue-haired girl mumbled. "Is that you?" Mercury stared up at the tall brunette, completely overwhelmed by the girl's stunning beauty. She was so pretty, yet so strong. The Soldier of Wisdom felt her heart accelerate as she took in the sight of the gorgeous warrior holding her tightly.

Without a response, Makoto set the girl down gently and stood up to face Mimizu, who had recovered from her attack. "You there!" he screeched. "Who do you think you are, interrupting my feasting?!"

Makoto grinned. "Who me?"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for courage! I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

Mercury watched the brunette strike a Sailor Soldier pose, causing her heart to pound even faster. "She's so cool…"

"You okay, Big Blue?" Jupiter said, glancing down at Mercury.

Ami' beating heart came to a stop. "B-Big Blue?" The girl's sudden nickname conjured up images in Ami's mind of her as an extremely fat person, and all preconceived notions of this girl's beauty were replaced by feelings of insult and hurt. How dare she call her such a demeaning name!

Jupiter raised and eyebrow. "Was it something I said?"

Without warning, Mimizu suddenly rushed in and smashed his fist into the Soldier of Courage's cheek, causing her to stumble back a little. Mercury gasped, fearing the tall girl was hurt badly. Mimizu chuckled a little, but all his confidence disappeared when Jupiter turned back to him with a devilish smile.

"Thank you for pressing the self-destruct button," she sneered. Mimizu took a step back, slightly scared. "T-Minus sixty seconds…"

With that, Jupiter began wailing on the humanoid worm. She drove a fist into his stomach, forcing all the air out of his body and his guts up into his chest. Enraged, he charged at the girl again, only to be picked up and raised over her head. Jupiter brought the monster down onto her knee, snapping his back into an arch and cracking it, before tossing him some distance away and sending him crashing into the hard stone pathway. Jupiter did not let up, however, dashing towards Mimizu and kicking him in the face, knocking him several more yards away. By the time he got back to his feet, the monster had blood leaking out of his eye sockets.

Jupiter ran at Mimizu again, intending to finish the job. However, Mimizu's chest suddenly split open and he unleashed his tentacle innards at the incoming Soldier. He made all the tentacles wrap around her neck and immediately began squeezing them as tight as he could. Jupiter just let out a halfhearted chuckle. "Is… choking people… all your good at?" she coughed.

"Be silent! You're about to be my next meal!" Mimizu shouted. He began draining the girl's energy, delighting in how much of it she seemed to have.

"You're… next meal, eh?" Jupiter said, confidence never leaving her voice. She reached up and clutched all dozen or so of the monster's tentacles in her hand. "Well… you shouldn't eat… with your hands!" In one swift motion, she yanked the worm-man's tentacles towards her, ripping them off his body. Mimizu cried out in agony as his appendages were torn away from him, leaving nothing but a massive gap in his torso that was now oozing blood. Jupiter untangled the severed tentacles from her neck and dropped them to the ground. "Oh, and by the way… T-Minus ten seconds."

Mimizu's bloody eyes shot open as he realized the girl intended to put an end to this.

"Nine… eight… seven…"

He struggled to his feet, clutching his torso in his now blood-soaked hands. He whirled around and made a desperate attempt to run away.

"Six… five… four…"

Mimizu ran as fast as he could, but a sinking feeling inside of him knew that it as futile.

"Three… two… one."

Jupiter raised a hand to her forehead, extending her thumb, forefinger, and pinky from her fist, in the hand sign for 'I love you.' A single gold antennae sprouted from the top of her tiara and transferred bolts of electricity to her hand.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Jupiter aimed her hand at Mimizu and sent a stream of lighting bolts flying a the fleeing monster. By now, there was no escape for the worm-man. He let out a final cry as the lighting bolts stuck his back and electrocuted his entire body. The lightning traveled around to the weak spot beneath his stumped tentacles, allowing them to travel into his body and melt his insides, evaporate his blood, and pop his eyes in a mess of vitreous fluid. Within seconds, the monster was nothing more that a pile of ashes.

Sailor Jupiter looked at her spoils of war and smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, that was quite a… 'shocking' battle, I'd say."

* * *

After the fight was over, Makoto helped Ami to her feet and the two walked over to Usagi and Rei, who had woken up and were slowly standing up themselves. When they saw who had joined them, their eyes shot open.

"MAKO!" Usagi squealed. "You're a Sailor Soldier! That's so cool!"

"Damn right!" Mako huffed with a grin. "You should have seen me out there. That freak never stood a chance!"

Rei looked surprised. "You defeated the monster all by yourself? I'm impressed."

Mako put a hand on her cheek and faked a shy blush. "Oh please, it was nothing really…" she said sarcastically, clearly basking in her victory.

"You really were amazing out there, Makoto," Ami complimented.

"Indeed," Luna said, arriving on the scene. "Welcome to the Sailor Soldiers, Makoto. Your strength is sure to a welcome addition to the team."

"Hey! What about my strength?" Usagi pouted.

Luna raised an eyebrow at the blonde girl. "Uh… yeah, sure. You too, Usagi." The black cat looked over at Motoki, who was lying on the ground, but still breathing. "Now that Mimizu is dead, all of his victims should have their energy returned to them. But we should still call an ambulance for this man."

Usagi gasped. "Oh no, Motoki!" She ran over to the young man and knelt next to him, listening to his chest. "Thank goodness, he's alive! Does anyone have a phone?"

Mako whipped out a pink cell phone with a rose pattern on it. "I do! Just gimme a sec and help will be on the way!" She was about to start dialing, but looked at Rei, squinting her eyes for some reason. "Wait a minute…" she said suspiciously. "You're that girl who was trying to read my mind earlier!"

Rei looked confused. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah! I was just walking along, minding my own business, and then you come up to me and try to read my mind like some psycho!" Mako said, raising her voice.

The raven-haired girl scowled. "It's psyCHIC, not psycho! And for the record, I wasn't reading your mind! I was feeling your chi!"

"So you were trying to feel me, eh?" Mako scoffed. "Sorry, but I don't swing that way," she said, crossing her arms and puffing out her chest.

"That's not what that means!" Rei shouted. "Do you have any education whatsoever?!"

Mako's forehead popped a vein. "Are you calling me stupid?! Nobody calls me stupid!"

Huge beads of sweat formed on Usagi, Ami, and Luna's faces as they watched the girls go at it. "I think this is the beginning of a 'beautiful' friendship…" Usagi murmured.

"As if your antics weren't enough…" Luna sighed.

"Weren't we supposed to call an ambulance?" Ami asked, but no one answered.

Rei and Mako continued to argue for what seemed like forever, somehow not waking the entire city with their incessant banter.

~A Suivre~


	10. Blossoming Storm

Here's chapter 10! Now that all the soldiers are introduced (for now at least) get ready for plot and character focused episodes! And I promise none of them will be pointless filler... I hope you guys are liking Mako so far. I'm definitely doing something different with her, so please bear with me if you don't like how I'm writing her so far. Let me know what you think! ;)

P.S. I apologize if you've left a review and I haven't responded. I love responding to comments, but I can't do that with Guest reviews. If you wish to hear a reply from me, make sure you make an account before leaving a review.

* * *

Chapter 10: Blossoming Storm

It seemed like a normal day in Tokyo. People walking to and fro, cars lining the streets, and airplanes soaring overhead. However, at one construction site, where there would normally be people in hard hats and orange vests hard at work, there was absolute silence.

WHOOSH!

A ten-foot long, four-hundred pound i-beam suddenly shot out from over the edge of the top floor and streaked down to the ground. It staked itself into the dirt with a loud bang, sending dust flying into the air. Up on the top floor, the Sailor Soldiers, Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter, were facing off against the monster with a bulldog's head who walked on his knuckles.

"Your aim sucks, Mugg! Why don't you quit throwing things and fight for real?" Jupiter mocked.

Mugg snorted and laughed. "Because if I fought you with my hands, this would be over all to quickly!" The bulldog monster cracked his knuckles, with hands about the size of three bowling balls. He picked up two more i-beams and hurled them like spears at Moon and Mercury.

"MOON TIARA-"

Before Sailor Moon could use her attack, Jupiter jumped in and grabbed her and Mercury by their collars, yanking them out of the way. The i-beams impaled the concrete floor and stuck out like giant road spikes.

Jupiter dropped the two smaller soldiers and saluted. "No need to thank me!" She pranced back off into battle, leaving Mercury in awe and Moon in a pout.

The Soldier of Courage charged at Mugg, raising a fist. "Get ready for an uppercut, you ugly sucker!" She swung her fist upward and drove it into the base of Mugg's jaw, but all she succeeded in doing was knocking some spit out of the dog-monster's jowls.

"That tickles…" Mugg sneered. He then stood on his knuckles and kangaroo-kicked Jupiter in the gut. She went flying across the floor and slammed into an upright i-beam that would become the frame for a wall. Mugg smiled to himself in triumph, but his eyes suddenly went wide and let out an agonized howl. He looked behind him and saw that his stubby tail had been set on fire. He quickly slapped it out with his huge paws, then looked around for the culprit.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Mugg howled again as his rear was once again set ablaze, and this time he comically scooted on the floor to extinguish the flames. This time, he knew exactly who had attacked him. He turned to see Sailor Mars glaring at him, smoke still rising from her palm. "You're gonna get it, you bitch!" Mugg roared. He dashed towards the Soldier of Fire, galloping on his knuckles like a gorilla. He leapt into the air and raised both fists over his head, before swinging them down towards Mars. Thankfully, the raven-haired girl was able to jump out of the way as the bulldog's monstrous paws pulverized the concrete floor they stood on. Everyone felt the whole building shake, and for a brief moment they grew concerned that the whole thing was going to collapse.

"We've got to end this soon," Mars said to herself. As she looked over to Mugg, she noticed an exposed fuse box on one of the wall frames, and an idea occurred to her. She ran directly at Mugg and jumped into a flying kick. "Hey, Mugg! I've heard dogs noses are really sensitive!" With that said, she drove her high-heeled foot up one of the bulldog's nostrils, causing him to yelp in pain and clutch his big black nose. Mars landed nimbly on her feet and backed up, making sure he fuse box was right behind her.

Mugg removed his hand from his nose, which was now gushing blood. "Now… now you're through!" He picked up another i-beam and swung it like a baseball bat, trying to take Mars' head off. Once again, the Soldier of Passion kept out of the way, resulting in Mugg smashing the i-beam into the fuse box. The now shattered box shot sparks into the air, and Mugg felt a burning electric shock travel up his arms.

"Electricity…" Sailor Mercury said, observing the action. "Great thinking, Mars!" She turned to Sailor Jupiter, who was still recovering from Mugg's kick. "Jupiter! Use you're thunder attack on that i-beam he's holding!"

"Uh… aye-aye, captain!" Jupiter slurred, clearly still dazed.

Mugg raised the i-beam over his head like an axe, preparing to bring it down onto Sailor Mars. "You got lucky that time, girlie! Try and dodge this one!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Sailor Jupiter sent a blast of lighting bolts flying at the i-beam Mugg was holding. The flurry of bolts latched onto the steel beam and traveled along it, eventually jumping onto Mugg's skin and spreading all over his body. The bulldog monster shrieked in agony as he was violently electrocuted. It was just like the fuse box, only a hundred times more powerful. After a moment of searing pain, Jupiter ceased her attack, leaving Mugg standing completely still, paralyzed except for a few muscle spasms.

"Well, Oxen… looks like… I lost our bet," Mugg grumbled. With that, he dropped the i-beam and proceeded to crumble into a pile of dust. Due to how high up they were, a light breeze traveled into the upper floor and picked up the dust pile, carrying the monster's remains off into the cerulean sky.

* * *

Makoto kicked down the doors to the Crown Arcade. Her blood was still pumping with excitement from the battle that had just occurred. The girls' sudden entrance caused a man to jump up from his seat and spill his coffee on a newspaper he was reading. "Uh… welcome to the Crown! How can I assist you?"

"Hey, where's Motoki?" Usagi asked, disappointed that her little boy crush was absent.

The man wiped his brow nervously. "Um… Mister Furuhata is still in the hospital due to an… incident. I will be working here part time until he recovers."

Usagi's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! He's probably still hurt after we saved him from the monst-"

Rei quickly covered Usagi's mouth before she could finish her sentence. "How thick-headed are you?!" Rei hissed.

"Geez, sorry ReiRei…" Usagi pouted.

Usagi, Rei, and Ami found a table and casually sat down in their seats. Mako, however, slid the chair back with a sweep of her leg and plopped down in it, immediately putting her feet up on the table. "Well, after a fight like that, I'd say we are in need of a celebration!"

Ami quickly shushed the tall girl. "Makoto! We can't talk about that stuff in front of that guy," she whispered.

Rei thought for a moment, the called over to the part-timer at the counter. "Sir! Can we have four sodas please?"

"Uh… y-yes ma'am!" He fumbled into the see-through mini-fridge next to the register, but suddenly his anxiety grew on his face. "Shoot, we're out of soda! Um… excuse me while I go to the back room and get some more!" He dashed out of the room and through a heavy looking door that said 'Storage.'

"Now, we can talk to our hearts' content," Rei said.

"How did you know they would out of soda?" Ami asked.

Rei smirked at the nerdy girl. "I'm psychic, remember?" she teased.

Ami just looked confused. "Um…"

"Ha! Just kidding. I saw they were out when we walked past," Rei clarified.

Usagi's eye sparkled. "Wow, ReiRei made a joke? I guess I'm starting to grow on you, huh?"

Rei's own smile quickly dropped. "Or maybe, I thought of it myself and not everything is about you, Bun-Head."

Out of nowhere, Luna hopped up on the table with something shiny in her mouth. She set it down in the table and turned to the girls. "Thank you all for meeting here as I requested. I would like to properly welcome Makoto onto the team with a little gift." She nuzzled the device she had been carrying over to the brunette girl, which everyone could now see was a communicator with a green chain. "This is your own personal communicator. Use it to keep in contact with the other girls and call for them in case of emergencies."

Makoto took the device off the table and strapped it to her wrist. "Whoa, so pretty," she said with glimmering eyes. "It makes for a pretty good accessory as well," she said, flashing the communicator like a piece of jewelry.

"I didn't think you'd be into that kind of thing," Ami said shyly.

"Just because I'm a badass doesn't mean I can't be fashionable, Big Blue," Makoto said, winking at the blue haired girl.

"Excuse me, girls," the part-timer said, setting four orange soda cans down on the table. "I didn't know what kind you liked, so I just grabbed a bunch of orange creams."

Mako eagerly grabbed one of the cans. "Are you kidding? Orange cream is the best! Thanks, man!" The man blushed at Mako's remark and quickly hurried back over to his seat behind the front counter. Meanwhile, the four girls cracked open their sodas and were about to drink, but Mako suddenly stood up. "Before we drink, I'd like to make a little toast…" She raised her soda high above the table and placed one foot on her chair, posing like a hero standing on a hill. "To me! The most valuable player on this team!" With that, Mako sat back down and began chugging her soda.

Rei scowled at the girl's arrogance. "Some nerve…" she mumbled.

"C'mon ReiRei, don't be like this right now," Usagi gurgled, her mouth filled with soda. "Just relax a little and have fun!"

"How am I supposed to relax when she's trying to hog all the glory for our team effort?" Rei snapped. "I'm just as good a fighter as she is!"

Mako smirked at Rei. "True, we are the best fighters on the team, but you know what the difference between us is? You can punch a wall and put a hole in it. I can punch a wall and bring the whole house down," she said.

Rei met her arrogant grin with a stone-cold glare. "Well, if you're not careful, that house is going to come down on top of you."

Mako's smile began to fade. "Then I'll just have to make sure you're under that house with me."

"As if I'd be stupid enough to be near you with you're mindless style of fighting," Rei shot back.

"Oh, you're asking for it now, sister!" Mako's voice began to get intense. Her smile had all but vanished.

Rei took a step closer to Mako. "I'm begging for it! Now who's gonna give it to me?"

"Me! With both hands tied behind my back!" Mako leaned over the young martial artist, trying to use her height to intimidate her.

Not fazed in the slightest, Rei stood on her toes to meet the taller girl at eye-level. Electricity could be seen flying between the two as they snarled at each other like rabid animals. Finally, Usagi jumped in between them and pushed them apart.

"Please stop! You're both super duper strong! There's no need to fight over it!" Rei and Mako turned away from each other, huffing and crossing their arms. Usagi was left standing in the middle, pulling her old puppy-eyes trick. "C'mon you guys, friends shouldn't be fighting like this!"

"Friends?" Mako said, surprised. She then began chuckling to herself. "Okay, let me make something very clear to all of you: the knowledge that I have to practically share my life with you all from now on makes me feel physical pain." She turned to Usagi. "You, blondie, you're an idiot." She glanced down at Luna next. "Kitty, I don't know what's more annoying; the fact that you're always on my case or that fact that you're a talking cat." Finally, she turned to Rei and practically stabbed her with her gaze. "And you, Bruce Lee wannabe, you're not special. Stop acting like it. I don't understand how you're friends with anyone with how uptight you are. Loosen the hell up." With that, Mako turned on her heels and stormed out of the arcade. "Don't bother me ever again. I refuse to be on a team with people like you."

Usagi, Rei, and Luna watched her go, making no attempt to stop her or bring her back. Eventually, Luna spoke up. "She… she'll come around…"

"For once, I actually hope you're wrong Luna," Rei said abruptly. "Kami-sama, to think that she's a Sailor Soldier…"

Usagi slammed her hands onto the table. "Stop it, Rei!" she cried. "Mako is our friend now! You can't be mean to her like you are to me!"

"How can you say that after how she just treated us?" Rei said, legitimately surprised. "I say good riddance to her."

"She didn't say anything about me," Ami said shyly.

Usagi and Rei looked at her, as if they had forgotten she was there. "Probably because she had something deeply insulting to say to you. Be thankful she left before she got the chance," Rei said.

"Calm down, Rei," Luna consoled. "I'm sure Makoto didn't mean what she said."

Ami stared down at her lap, anxiously twiddling her thumbs. "She didn't say anything about me…" she quietly said to herself.

* * *

Deep within the confines of the Dark Kingdom, a man with reddish-brown hair stood in front of a full-body mirror. His upper body was unclothed, exposing his rather muscular torso and arms. He held his left arm in the air, and with his right arm he touched a rather nasty looking scar just below his rib cage. He applied light pressure to the scar, causing him to wince slightly. The pain caused him to flash back to several days ago when the wretched Sailor Soldiers inflicted this wound upon him.

"Admiring yourself, love?" Zoisite said from behind him. The blonde man stepped up to his lover and wrapped his arms around his torso. "I guess I would if I had your body…" he flirted.

"Really Zoisite… you should wait until night for this kind of behavior," Nephrite said, smiling.

"I can't help myself," the shorter man purred, lightly stroking the taller man's ripped stomach.

Nephrite blushed and quickly placed an hand over his scar. "How can you hold me when I still have this shameful mark on my body?"

"I don't mind it. Scars are welcome on the path to our goal after all," Zoisite said soothingly. He moved a hand up to the one covering Nephrite's scar and squeezed it. Unfortunately, this only added additional pressure to the wound, causing Nephrite to grunt. "Oh Nephite! I'm sorry!" Zoisite apologized, quickly backing away. "I-I wasn't aware that it was still sore…"

"That's it!" Nephrite snapped. "I refuse to become weak because of one injury!" He stomped over to his wardrobe and threw it open, pulling out his scarlet armor and cape.

Zoisite looked concerned. "Wait… where are you going?"

The brunette man buckled on his breastplate and adjusted it. "I'm going to find that wench, Sailor Mercury! She's the one who outsmarted us in our last battle. It's her fault I've been out of commission for nearly a week now!" He attached his cape to his shoulder pads and swished it out behind himself. "She'll pay for what she did and she'll pay in blood!"

"No Nephrite!" Zoisite cried, running up to his lover and grabbing his arm. "If the Queen finds out you fought without permission, she might… s-she might…" His voice trembled at the end.

Nephrite sighed. He lifted the blonde man's chin with two fingers and gave him a quick kiss. "I promise nothing like that will happen. I will be gone and back before she can even notice." He smiled down to Zoisite, who looked down and nodded. Nephrite let go of the shorter man and walked over to the bedroom door.

"Be careful!" Zoisite said quickly.

Nephrite chuckled. His lover was adorable when he was concerned. "Of course, dear." He shut the door behind him and began making his way down the hall. "I won't turn into a weakling like you did, Kunzite…" he muttered to himself as he walked into the shadowy depths of the narrow hallway.

* * *

Ami stood outside a two-story tall apartment building. After Makoto left the arcade, something compelled her to follow the beautiful girl. She kept her distance so she wouldn't be noticed, and now she had ended up in a dirty neighborhood and in front of a really run-down looking apartment building. There appeared to be eight apartments in total, with four doors on each floor. Ami's eyes settled on the second door on top. That was the one she saw Makoto walk in to.

Ami sighed to herself and began making her way up to Makoto's room. As she climbed the rusty stairs she nearly squashed several dead bugs beneath her feet and almost ran her hand through a spiderweb on the railing. How could anyone live in a place like this? More importantly, how could Makoto's parents afford school if they were living here? The blue-haired girl brought her questions to a halt as she now found herself standing in front of a large white door with rust outlining the whole thing. Taking another deep breath, she raised her hand and lightly knocked three times.

Nothing happened. She knocked three more times, this time a little harder. Still, nothing. Ami was getting a little impatient now. Makoto just walked in, so there was no way she was already asleep or anything. Ami knocked again, this time borderline pounding on the door. Finally, a voice came from the other side. "Piss off, Taki! I told you I'm out of coffee grounds!"

"Um… Makoto! It's me, Ami!" she called.

She heard a few heavy, dragging footsteps, followed by three or four locks unlocking, and finally the door creaked open. Ami now found herself looking up at the giant brunette girl she had come here to see. "Oh, it is you. What do you want?"

Ami found herself at a loss for words. She had come here with questions, but all she managed to get out was "Um… well, I… uh…"

"What, you like what you see?" Mako said, playfully placing a hand on her hip and cocking it out.

"N-No! Why would you even-" Ami stopped herself before she went on a rant. "I just wanted to ask you something." The shorter girl nervously folded her hands and assumed and almost reverent position. "Earlier, when you insulted everyone, you didn't say anything about me."

"Do you want me to insult you or something?" Mako asked abruptly.

Ami lowered her head even more. "No! I just… want to know what you think of me…" she said, her voice trailing off.

Mako raised an eyebrow. "What? Speak up."

"I want to know what you think of me!" Ami blurted out. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, aware of how loud she was. Her face turned a bright shade of red as well.

"Geez, keep it down. My neighbor Taki's probably in the middle of his afternoon nap." Mako paused for a moment, looking away from Ami, as if thinking to herself. "You're the only one I can tolerate. Everyone else is annoying, but at least you're quiet. And you're pretty smart."

"Really?!" Ami said, beaming a little. She hadn't expected a compliment.

"But!" Mako said, holding up a finger. "That's not enough to make me want to stay on the team. Fighting monsters was fun for awhile, but if I have to do it with that cat bossing me around and that black-haired girl constantly up my ass, then no dice." She paused again. "Also, getting kicked by that big dog monster kinda reminded me that I can die, and if there's one thing I'll never do, it's die for the sake of others. My life comes first and foremost."

"Oh… I see," Ami said shyly. "Sorry, but I was really looking forward to having you around. We could use someone as strong and brave as you on the team."

Mako's eyes shot open and she blushed, but she quickly turned away so Ami wouldn't see it. "Uh… thanks. But I'm still not coming back."

"Right," Ami sighed. "I'll leave alone now. Apologies for bothering you," she said, bowing to the tall girl.

"Don't mention it. Like I said, you're the only one I can tolerate." Mako began to head back into her apartment. "I'll probably see you around, since we go to the same school and all. Anyway, later Big Blue!"

Ami perked up suddenly. "Uh… I wish you wouldn't-" Before she could finish, Mako closed the door and cut her off. "...call me that name…" The nerdy girl was left standing out there, saddened that she couldn't get Mako to come back. At least she had accomplished what she went there to do. She didn't like Mako making fun of her friends, but knowing she didn't think of her the same way put some ease into her heart.

"Hey Makoto! You got any coffee grounds?!" a voice came from the next apartment down.

"Piss off, Taki!" Mako shouted back.

Ami chuckled. Makoto sure did have some fire in her. Too bad she and Rei didn't get along. The blue-haired girl headed back down the steps to ground level and began walking home, hoping to get out of this disgusting neighborhood as soon as possible.

* * *

"NOOOOO!" Usagi cried, tears fountaining from her eyes.

"What? What is it Usagi?" Luna responded.

"Oh Luna, it's awful!" Usagi sobbed heavily, then suddenly held up a Sailor V manga to the black cat's face. "Sailor V just found out that Ace is actually Danburite, and now they're gonna have to fight each other! How can they possibly love each other now?! WAAAAAAHHH!"

Luna's face drooped. "I thought somebody had died or something…"

"Well it feels like someone just died to me!" Usagi whined, tears still flowing down her face like rivers.

Luna rolled on Usagi's bed, staring up at the ceiling. She kept quiet for a moment, thinking to herself. "Hey, Usagi?" she asked

Usagi sniffed and wiped away her tears before responding. "Y-Yeah?"

"My memory of the Moon Kingdom isn't perfectly clear, but as far as I can recall, none of the Soldiers ever acted like Makoto does," Luna said.

Usagi looked curiously at her feline friend. "What do you mean?"

Luna rolled back over. "In order to be a Sailor Soldier, one needs to be pure of heart, and from what I've seen, Makoto is the furthest thing from that." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I think her transformation might have been a mistake."

Usagi's eyes shot open. She slammed her book shut and grabbed Luna by her torso, lifting her up and pressing her forehead to her own. "How dare you! Mako may not be the nicest person, but she's totally pure of heart!"

"She insulted all of you and then ditched the team!" Luna retorted. "How can you call that pure?"

"She was just mad because Rei was being a big meanie again! And I'll admit that I'm not the sharpest bulb on the branch." She lowered her voice for her next comment. "And you are pretty annoying sometimes…"

Luna's eyes widened. "What?! I am not annoying! I'm doing my job to keep you girls in line! And as far as I'm concerned, Makoto has no place in that line!"

"That's it!" Usagi snapped. She brought Luna over to her window and opened it. "You're a bad kitty, so you're sleeping outside tonight!" She proceeded to set Luna on the roof outside her window and slam it shut.

"Usagi! Let me back in!" Luna screeched, furiously clawing at the window.

"If you scratch those windows, I can make it two nights!" the blonde girl said. "Now, when you're ready to apologize for saying that about Makoto, you can come back in." With that, Usagi shut her blinds, obscuring the dejected cat from her view.

"Usagi, you open this window right now! You have no right to treat me like this!" Suddenly, there was a rumble of thunder and a crash of lightning, causing the hair on Luna's back to stand up. Within seconds, it was pouring rain. Luna felt as if she was going to die. "P-Please let me back in, Usagi! I really hate storms!" Getting no response from the girl, the black cat decided it was hopeless. She hugged herself as close to the window as possible, trying to avoid the rain. "Wasn't there a storm just a few nights ago…"

* * *

The sky lit up as another lightning bolt danced across the sky before crashing down to the earth. The resulting sound resonated throughout the city like a bomb going off. Atop a local building, Nephrite stood stoutly in the torrential downpour, his cape billowing out behind him. He brushed his already soaked brown locks out of his face and smiled to himself.

"The perfect atmosphere for destruction…" he sneered.

The brunette man looked around the city below him. Traffic was already backed up due to people refusing to drive fast on slippery wet roads. People were either casually strolling along with umbrellas, or scrambling to get out of the rain if they didn't have one. He would have to aim carefully as to cause enough damage to get the Soldiers' attention (preferably Mercury's) but to not take any lives. Doing so would cause Queen Metalia to punish him for destroying more potential human energy. Focusing on a target area, he raised his right arm up to his left shoulder.

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

As he called out his attack, he swung his arm out in front of his body, scattering several glowing black rose petals across the open air. As the petals fluttered down to the ground, they exploded in midair, evaporating thousands of surrounding raindrops. The people below were thrown into an instant panic. They didn't know where the explosion had come from, but since it was an explosion they decided it would be best to seek shelter or get out of the area. Some even abandoned their cars and ran for the nearest building.

Nephrite watched the chaos with a genuine smile on his face. "That should bring the Soldiers running. But just to make sure..."

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

* * *

Ami walked under a light blue umbrella with a wave pattern on it. The rain beating down on top of it sounded like machine gun fire. The blue-haired girl had not expected it to rain on her way home, nor had she expected that she and Makoto lived so far apart. Then again, they were practically on opposite sides of Tokyo. Fortunately, she always carried a trusty umbrella in her backpack in case something like this happened. Unfortunately, it seemed like Mother Nature just couldn't leave well enough alone. A huge gust of wind came out of nowhere and took Ami's umbrella with it. She jumped into the air to try and grab it, but it was already long gone.

"Why does my element have to be so cruel?" Ami sighed. She quickly took off into the rain, deciding to sprint the rest of the way home despite not exactly being a runner.

KABOOM!

As she crossed a busy street, there was a huge explosion down the road that erupted in midair. Ami's head snapped in the direction of the floating fireball, expecting to see a helicopter or a plane that had crashed into a building. Instead, she saw nothing.

"What was that? Explosions don't just happen for no reason," the nerdy girl thought. "Unless…" As she looked closer at where the explosion, she saw dozens of black rose petals hovering between the surrounding buildings, followed by another explosion. "Black roses… Nephrite!" she said, the realization hitting her like one of the explosions. Ami quickly ran into a nearby alleyway, to avoid any observers, and pulled her Transformation Pen out of her backpack.

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

A bright blue light flashed from within the dark alley, and once it faded, Sailor Mercury was now standing where Ami Mizuno had once been. The Soldier of Water brought her communicator up to her wrist. "Usagi! Rei! Makoto! We've got a situation downtown. Nephrite is back and he's causing a lot of damage! Mark my position and meet me as soon as you can!"

"Rodger dodger! On my way now!" Usagi said from the other line.

"I hear you loud and clear, Ami!" Rei responded as well.

Usagi suddenly came back on. "Wait! It's storming! I don't wanna go out there!"

"Usagi, people could be dying!" Rei shouted. "Meet us there or I'll come to your house and drag you out!"

"Reiiii! Why are you so mean to me?!" Usagi cried before finally hanging up.

Ami giggled. Those two couldn't help bickering even when people were in danger. Her carefree expression was replaced with a sad one when she realized Makoto hadn't answered, but Ami had no doubt she was on her way as well. Surely, once she knew that people could be dying, she would come running to the rescue. She was a Sailor Soldier after all.

* * *

Nephrite stared down at the chaotic citizens of Tokyo, only now the smile he once had was long gone. His patience was waning. "Perhaps Melalia won't notice if I take a few lives…" He raised his arm once again, ready to throw down more explosion rose petals.

"HOLD IT, NEPHRITE!"

The Knight of Black Roses stopped his arm and looked behind him. Through the blinding downpour of rain, he saw a small girl in a blue sailor uniform standing before him. His smile returned, only this time it was more of a delighted, devilish grin.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

"You showed up just in time," Nephrite huffed. "I was just about to turn this display into a massacre."

Mercury thought to herself: "I won't be able to beat him on my own. I'll have to stall until the others get here."

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The mist surrounded Nephrite, bringing his range of vision down to zero. "Ha! This trick again? I thought you would have improved your skills by now." As he was finishing his sentence, he felt his body begin to stiffen. As he looked down at himself, he realized that his body was completely soaked from the rain, and the mist was now causing all of that moisture to freeze, encasing his body in ice. "D-Dammit! It appears I shouldn't underestimate you…"

"ROSE COCOON!"

Mercury stood back, hoping her plan had worked. The freezing cold temperature of the mist should cause his wet body to freeze. That would give the others enough time to get here and time for her to figure out a plan. However, as she tried to come up with something, she saw the mist begin to disperse, and a huge, man-sized, unblossomed rose standing where Nephrite used to be. Once the mist was completely gone, the rose split apart, and Nephrite stepped out from the cluster of petals.

"That was quite the strategy you had. I guess they don't call you the Soldier of Wisdom for nothing," he chuckled.

"Well, there goes Plan A…" Mercury said to herself.

Nephrite pulled out one of his spear-like black roses the threw it at Mercury. She was able to get out of the way, but the rose's thorns ended up clipping her blue skirt. The Dark Knight gave her no time to breathe, pulling out two more roses and hurling them directly at her head.

"I need a new strategy and fast!" Mercury thought, panicked. She thought back her previous plan of letting the mist freeze the water on Nephrite's body, then felt the raindrops hitting her own body. Finally, a new idea hit her. "Time to go on the offensive!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

This time, she summoned the mist directly above her, letting thousands of raindrops fall into it. As the rain entered the mist, it instantly froze into tiny, bullet-like balls of ice. The raindrops fell into the mist by the hundreds, creating almost an army of these little ice balls.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nephrite demanded.

Mercury just smirked. She threw her hands down, aiming them at Nephrite. Suddenly, the mist cloud unleashed a storm of ice balls at the Knight of Black Roses. The ice struck against his armor, shattering in an instant, but still pushing the knight back several feet. He grit his teeth and tried to push back, but the relentless onslaught of ice pellets was like a hail storm sped up to the speed of sound. Not only that, but the ongoing rain acted as an endless supply of ammunition for Mercury's attack. To the knight's horror, he could feel the ice bullets begin to dent his armor. At this point, he had had enough.

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

Nephrite released another flurry of black rose petals. They collided with the ice storm and exploded, intercepting the blue-haired soldier's attack. Thinking quickly, he pulled out another sharp rose and threw it at his adversary. The rose struck Mercury's wrist, slicing deep into the skin and causing her to halt her attack so she could clutch her now stinging wrist.

"An admirable attempt at an attack, Sailor Mercury!" He pulled out another rose and prepared to throw it. "But you're still just a weak little girl…"

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

A brilliant golden disk flew in from seemingly out of thin air and knocked the rose out of Nephrite's hand. "What the-"

"FIRE SOUL!"

In a similar fashion, a raging fireball of fury appeared from behind Nephrite and nearly incinerated him, but he was able jump out of the way in time. The fireball struck the roof and set it ablaze, but the falling rain quickly put it out.

"Who's there?!" Nephrite barked. As he looked around he saw a pair of shadows on either side of the roof. A bolt of lighting flew across the sky, lighting up the roof and revealing who had just arrived.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"Sailor Moon! Mars! You came!" Mercury cried with joy, still holding onto her bleeding wrist. She took one last look around the roof, hoping to see Jupiter there as well, but unfortunately, no Soldier of Courage was anywhere in sight. "She's just… running late…" she told herself.

"Sailor Mars?" Nephrite asked. "I don't believe we've met before…"

"I don't care who you are, especially after what you said to Mercury!" Mars shouted. "I'll show you how weak girls really are!" She raised one of her long, slender legs, as if winding up a kick. "With my high heels, I'll punish you!"

The Soldier of Fire charged at Nephrite, appearing to go for a headlong attack, but at the last second, she slid to the ground and swept her leg under Nephite's feet, knocking him off balance. Mars quickly flipped back onto her own feet and spun around, swinging a knife-hand at the Dark Knight's throat. He was able to catch the girl's hand however, laughing with pride. Not letting up, Mars pressed her hand to the man's breastplate.

"FIRE SOUL!"

A burst of flames erupted from the raven-haired girl palm and scorched Nephrite's armor. The force of the attack knocked the two fighters away from each other.

"Sailor Moon! Finish him with your Twilight Flash attack!" Mars called.

The blonde soldier moved her hand up to her tiara, but quickly realized that the moon was blocked by the rain clouds. "I can't! I need the moon to be out to use that attack!"

"You girls really are foolish!" Nephrite pulled out another rose and whipped it at Sailor Moon. The rose flew at her with incredible speed, but luckily Mercury leapt in front of Usagi at the last second.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The Soldier of Wisdom threw up another chilling mist. Nephrite's rose flew into it, but it quickly lost all forward momentum and harmlessly floated to the ground like feather.

"Thanks, Mercury!" Moon said.

"Anytime," she responded. "Hey, at least you don't have to pull a rose out of my arm this time."

Sailor Moon giggled a little, remembering what happened the last time Ami put herself between her and one of Nephrite's roses. Mars joined the two behind the protective wall of mist.

"Mercury, any thoughts? How do we take this guy down?" Mars asked desperately.

The blue-haired soldier sadly shook her head. "I've scanned him once before, but he doesn't seem to have any anatomical weaknesses."

"Oh well," Mars sulked. "I guess we'll just have to hit him with everything we've got."

"Yeah, let's combine all our attacks and hit him with everything we've got!" Usagi said boldly.

Mars raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what I just said?"

Nephrite impatiently watched Mercury's mist begin to dissipate. "Cowardly soldiers! Come out and face me, or I'll destroy this entire building!"

Suddenly, a mighty gust of wind completely blew the mist away, revealing all three soldier standing proudly, their attacks ready in their hands. Moon held her tiara, Mercury prepared her water spirals, and Mars ignited a fireball.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

The three heroines threw their attacks at Nephrite. As the tiara spun, it swept up the mist and the fireball, creating a giant spinning disk of blue fire that sailed towards Nephrite with greater speed than one of his roses. Before he could conjure up another rose, the disk slammed into his body right between his stomach and chest.

"Alright! We got him!" Usagi cheered.

Mercury and Mars were about to join in the celebration, but their excitement disappeared when they heard Nephrite laughing. "I told you… you're just weak girls!" The Knight of Black Roses was holding the destructive elemental disk in his hands as if it were as deadly as a piece of paper, then proceeded to toss it aside with no effort whatsoever. "Last time, you caught me off guard with your combined attack. But now that I know what you're capable of, I can see you for what you really are!"

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

This time, Nephrite used both hands for his attack, sending twice as many rose petals at the Sailor Soldiers. The resulting explosion sent the three girls flying into the air and screaming in agony. The combination of the burn from the explosion with the sting of the sharp petals created an unbearable pain that nearly sent the three into shock.

* * *

Makoto sat in a beat up leather chair, which was covered in patches. It may not have been a comfortable seat, but it had to be better than whatever he girls were going through. She had her communicator turned on, and had been listening to the entire battle. Up until the last few minutes, she felt no need to step in. After all, why should she? However poor her life may be, it was certainly better than risking her life for other people. Why should she help people after what this world had done to her?

Then she heard Ami's agonized scream. It was raw, screeching, and sent a chill down Makoto's spine. The amount of pain she must have felt to scream like that could only mean she had just suffered a fatal attack. Even though she had no intention to be a Sailor Soldier, Ami was the only one who had seemed like a decent person to her, and that was saying a lot given the past few years of her life.

Makoto stood up in her chair and grabbed her Transformation Pen off the counter. Her mind was made up. Tonight, she would fight to save Ami, and her alone.

* * *

Sailor Moon, Mercury and Mars all lay on the roof, battered and bloodied. Their Sailor uniforms were torn and their bodies were in excruciating pain. Nephrite stood over them with a smile, holding a rose in his hand.

"Damn you…" Mars growled. She struggled to her feet, barely managed to stay balanced.

"What was it you said to me, Sailor Mars? You will punish me with your high heels?" He took a whiff of the black rose in his hand. Suddenly, he threw the rose at Sailor Mars, and it shattered one of the heels of her shoes, causing her to drop back to the ground. Nephrite laughed at her humiliation. "Now that I've had my fun, I think it's time I dealt with all of you once and for all." He summoned another rose and took aim at Sailor Mercury. "Starting with you, Mercury! This is for scarring my perfect body!" Nephrite threw the rose at the downed Mercury, aiming for her head.

"NO!" Sailor Moon screamed.

It looked as if this was going to be the end for Sailor Mercury, but at the last second the rose was knocked aside and embedded into the ground.

Nephrite snarled. "Who are you?"

"Tuxedo Mask!" Moon cried happily.

The man in a dashing black penguin suit and a long black cape stood heroically in front of Sailor Mercury, having deflected Nephrite's rose with his cane. "You're not going to take anyone's life today, Nephrite!" he declared.

"We'll see about that!" Nephrite whipped out six more roses, holding them between each of his fingers in either hand, and then threw them all at Tuxedo Mask. However, the dark-haired man simply raised his cane and, wielding it like a sword, swiftly knocked away each of the roses one by one.

"Sailor Moon, get out of here. I'll deal with him myself," Tuxedo Mask said.

"What?! You can't beat him all by yourself!" Moon cried in panic.

"Maybe, but the rest of you are too hurt to fight him anymore. The least I can do is buy you some time. Go, now!" he ordered.

Sailor Moon pushed herself to her hands and knees and looked pleadingly at Tuxedo Mask. "I won't let you fight him alone! You might get hurt! Or worse… you could be…" She couldn't finish that last part.

"I advise against placing too much stock in your escape…" Nephrite raised and hand a conjured another cluster of black rose petals. "But if you like, I can help give you a head start by blowing you all off this roof!"

"BLOSSOM BOMBARD-"

BAM!

Nephrite's attack was cut off by Jupiter rushing in and smashing her fist into the Dark Knight's face, causing blood to spurt from his bottom lip. The impact disoriented the man and caused the glowing petals in his hand to vanish as quickly as they appeared.

"Jupiter…" Ami said weakly. "You're here…"

Nephrite struggled to stay afoot, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Another one? And who are you supposed to be?"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for courage! I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

Nephrite chuckled. "You soldiers keep boosting your ranks, yet you're still as weak as ever." He gestured over to the three injured girls. "Look at your friends! I withstood their strongest attack and took the out in one fell swoop! Yet you call yourselves warriors…"

"I think you forgot that you're saying all this about the girl who just pummeled you," Jupiter scoffed.

"Your strength doesn't excuse how pathetic your comrades are," Nephrite sneered. "Sailor Mars is reckless, Sailor Moon is a fool, and Sailor Mercury is the weakest opponent I've ever had the displeasure of encountering. Her presence is a detriment to all of you! You should be thanking me for trying to destroy her!"

Jupiter clenched her fist. "So what if she's weak? Does that give you any right to make her a target?" she said quietly, despite the apparent rage in her voice. "All you tough guys think the world belongs to you. Well, I'm about to show you what real strength feels like…" The Soldier of Thunder crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes.

"Jupiter, my guardian planet, bring forth the storm, summon the clouds, and bring down the thunder!"

Directly above Jupiter, the dark clouds began to flash as bolts of lighting darted through them. Her tiara's antennae extended upward, and the lightning flashes became more condensed above her. Suddenly, a gigantic, monstrous bolt came crashing down from the clouds and struck the antennae, sending electricity dancing across Jupiter's body and coursing through her veins.

"You bitch… prepare to die!" Nephrite roared. He pulled another black rose out and wound up his arm.

Seeing what Nephrite was doing, Tuxedo Mask quickly threw his cane like a tomahawk and knocked the rose out of Nephrite's hand. "Jupiter! Finish him!" the tuxedo-clad man called out.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

The immense amount of lighting gathered around Jupiter charged her attack up ten fold, and when she finally fired it all at Nephrite, it was like a tidal wave of electricity was now barreling towards him. He was unable to get out of the way as the electricity engulfed him, only his body wasn't as resistant to it at Jupiter's. The subsequent electrocution caused Nephrite to scream like a wild animal being tortured as his skin and internal organs were cooked. The knight felt as if he was being torn apart. In one last desperate attempt to escape, he reached out in front of himself and generated whatever magic he could muster through his pain. He opened a dimensional door and leapt through it, narrowly avoiding complete disintegration.

Jupiter panted heavily. Her attack had exhausted her, but it had gotten the job done. However, with no body or pile of ashes in sight, she knew Nephrite was still alive. "Running away… who's weak now, you bastard?" She looked over to her friends, seeing Tuxedo Mask already trending to Moon and Mars. Jupiter rushed over to Mercury, hoping she wasn't as hurt as she sounded over the communicator.

* * *

Zoisite sat on the edge of his bed, nervously twirling his long blonde hair. Nephrite had been gone for a long time. Someone of his strength should be able to take on the Sailor Soldiers by himself…

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom burst open and Nephrite stumbled in. His clothes were scorched, his armor was broken and melted in some areas, and his skin was covered in smoking burnt patches.

"Nephrite!" Zoisite screamed, running to his lover's aide. He dropped to his knees, hands hovering over the man as if afraid to touch him. "I'm going to go get help!" He was about to run out, but Nephrite grabbed his hand.

"No! S-Stay… don't…. tell anyone. Metalia will… finish me…" he said with little strength in his voice.

Zoisite began to tear up at the sight of his lover in so much pain, yet so unwilling to get help. He cradled the brunette's head in his arms, stroking his hair and trying desperately to comfort him. "Oh darling, who did this to you? Was it Sailor Mercury again?"

"No… it was… another," Nephrite stammered. "S-Sailor… Jupiter…"

That name echoed in Zoisite's mind, triggering all sorts of enraged thoughts in his subconscious. A new Sailor Soldier had come on the scene, and had already done this to his beloved Nephrite. "Sailor Jupiter… I swear on my life, you will suffer for doing this to my Nephrite!" he declared, already thinking of numerous violent and brutal ways to kill the Soldier of Courage.

* * *

Ami winced as Mako applied the wet handkerchief to her scratched up skin. The pressure on her injuries stung, but was followed by the soothing feeling of the cool moisture.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the hospital?" Mako asked. "That tuxedo guy took Usagi and Rei there."

"Their injured were a lot worse than mine," Ami said. "I'm sure if I just let these scab over and wear some long clothes tomorrow, nobody will notice."

Mako smiled a little. "You know, you're a lot tougher than you look."

"Oh, please," Ami said putting herself down. "I'm not tough at all. Not like you, anyway."

"No, seriously. Don't listen to what that bastard said to you. You may not be as strong as me, but you sure can take a beating." Mako stopped for a moment. "Still, I don't like seeing you get hurt like this, so I'm gonna stick around from now on."

Ami's face lit up. "W-What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm staying on the team, but only to protect you," Mako said firmly. "Not because you're weak, but because you could use someone to watch your back. We all could. We are superheroes now, and superheroes always have sidekicks, don't they?"

Ami giggled. "Yeah… they do." She blushed a little before smiling up at the taller girl. "Thank you, Mako. I'm glad you're staying with us."

"No problem, Big Blue!" Mako said, grinning.

Ami cringed a little at her demeaning nickname, but she was too happy that Mako was here to stay, so she let it slide. Once her wounds were treated, Mako offered to walk her home, and she happily obliged. As the two went on their way, the shorter girl clung to Mako's arm. She claimed it was because her wounds made it difficult to walk, but in reality she loved the feel of the taller girl's fit arms.

~A Suivre~


	11. Shadows of Doubt

Here's chapter 11! A bit of an early update this time, but this chapter was a little shorter, plus I had a lot of free time to work on it this week. This chapter is focused on Luna. She hasn't gotten much attention is this story so far, and based on how things went with Usagi in the last chapter, I figured some development was an order! Oh, and if you're wondering what happened to Mamoru and Naru, don't worry! They'll be back next time. Hope you all enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 11: Shadows of Doubt

A pair of sunny-side up eggs sizzled in a large black frying pan. A black and white newspaper crinkled as the pages were flipped. A handheld video game went 'beep-boop-beep' as the sprites move across the screen. Aside from these few distinct noises, silence dominated the Tsukino household early in the morning. Ikuko, or Mrs. Tsukino, was frying up a pair of eggs for breakfast. Kenji, or Mr. Tsukino, was reading the morning paper and was glued to the latest story of the Sailor Soldiers, slightly jealous that they always made the front page instead of the stories he wrote. Shingo, the Tsukino's youngest child, was exercising his thumbs with a small portable video game (which he really should not be playing at the table). However, all three family members knew that their peaceful morning was about to be broken by the blind panic of a girl who loved to neglect her alarm clock.

"Should I go wake her up?" Mr. Tsukino said.

Mrs. Tsukino shook her head. "Give her a few more minutes. She must be having a beautiful dream if she's this late."

A minute passed, then two minutes, and then five minutes. Finally, it had been a half hour since they had last heard an alarm clock going off. Seeing what time it was, Shingo glanced up from his game and chimed in. "Five, four, three, two, one…"

"WAAAAAUUUUGGGHHH! I'M SO LATE!"

Ikuko, Kenji, and Shingo braced themselves for the oncoming storm. Suddenly, an unstoppable force of nature tore its way down the stairs and burst into the kitchen. It was Usagi, complete with a wrinkled school uniform, only one of her buns done up, and a backpack with papers falling out of every pocket.

"Mooom! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" Usagi whined.

"Oh dear, it seems I simply forgot. I must not have heard your alarm go off over the sizzle of these eggs…" Mrs. Tsukino sighed.

"I can't miss another first period or it's detention for life!" the disheveled girl cried as she frantically dashed over to the counter and stuffed one of the eggs into her mouth, which had just come off the frying pan. "Owowow! Hot hot HOT!"

"Careful Usagi, you don't want to burn that big mouth of yours," Shingo scoffed.

Usagi's forehead popped a vein. "I am not in the mood, Shingo!" As she scurried about, the young girl noticed Luna laying in her small cat bed, curled up and looking depressed. Usagi crawled over to the bed and leaned down to the cat's eye-level. "Hey, you okay Luna?" she whispered.

Luna barely responded, simply nodding her head and giving a soft purr. Usagi smiled brightly. "Oh, good! You just looked really sad there." She turned to go, but stopped and leaned back down to the black cat. "Remember, when we have that meeting after school today, I want you to apologize to Mako for what you said about her." Luna gave another half-hearted nod. "Okie dokie! See you later, Luna!" Usagi sprang to her feet, snatched her lunch off the counter, and ran out the door to begin the long trek to school. "Bye-bye, everyone! Love you all!"

"We love you too, Usa," Mr. Tsukino called back. Once Usagi was out the door, he turned to his wife. "So… mind explaining why we let her sleep in so late?"

Mrs. Tsukino flipped the last few eggs onto a plate and brought them over to her husband. "Honestly, it's because her frantic running around in the morning is the closest thing to exercise she gets these days." Hearing the beeping of Shingo's video game, Mrs. Tsukino turned to her son with a disapproving look. "Shingo, don't forget you have school too. Put that thing down before you're late as well," she ordered.

Shingo rolled his eyes and shut the game off. "Fine…" As he got up from the table, he noticed that Luna's food dish was still completely full. "Hey mom? Luna still hasn't eaten her breakfast."

Mrs. Tsukino looked over to the cat's dish and raised and eyebrow. "How odd… she didn't eat her dinner last night either."

"Have you thought about taking her to the vet?" Mr. Tsukino asked.

"I'll wait until the end of the day to see if she eats anything," his wife responded. "If not by then, I'll take her to get looked at."

Luna laid curled up in a tight ball on her bed. She was still shaken up from the storm the night before, trying desperately to erase the echo of thunder from the recesses of her mind.

~Flashback~

Luna pressed herself against Usagi's bedroom window, trying desperately to avoid the torrential downpour, but to no avail. She was thoroughly soaked and freezing cold, not to mention the lightning and thunder that occurred every couple of seconds terrified her to no end. She realized she had upset Usagi, but was a punishment like this really what she deserved? At this point, she was willing to apologize to Makoto a hundred times if it meant getting out of this storm.

Suddenly, she heard the window unlock and open. "Luna? What're you doing out here?" It was Shingo. "C'mere, you little rascal. You're gonna get sick sleeping out in this rain," He picked up Luna and pulled her into the house, setting her down on Usagi's carpet. "I was just gonna open Usagi's window and let all the rain as a joke, but I ended up finding you. What're the odds?" he chuckled to himself. "I'll get a towel and dry you off."

~End Flashback~

If it hadn't been for Usagi's mischievous little brother, she might have spent the entire night out there. Luna shook at the thought, believing she wouldn't have been able to sleep for a week if that had happened. Any way she looked at it, Luna knew she didn't deserve to be traumatized like that. Usagi had gone too far.

"But was it really her fault?" Luna thought to herself. "She's clearly convinced that Makoto is a good person, so for me to say otherwise, of course she'd get mad. After all, she's just a kid." Luna continued to think for a moment, but then something hit her that made her curl up even tighter. "Is it possible all the stress I'm putting on her is making her act this way? Is the life of a Sailor Soldier really too much for a little girl like her to handle?"

* * *

Kunzite paced slowly back and forth across the monster barracks, walking steadily with one foot in front of the other. His body never swayed, and he never once broke moving in a straight line. The monsters stood as still as possible, knowing that the slightest of movements or noises could result in Kunzite snapping and subsequently snapping one of them in half.

"Every time I send one of you out, all you bring back is failure," Kunzite said in a no-nonsense tone. "Now, the Queen has it out for me, and I've lost the respect of Nephrite, who was once my most loyal follower." He suddenly stopped in his tracks, clicking his steel boots against the floor. "My life is on the line!" he shouted. "And if you fools don't get your act together, so will yours! The Sailor Soldiers grow stronger by the day, yet you feel obligated to play games and make petty bets with one another!" He shot a look over to Oxen, the monster who had fought with Mugg the other day. The humanoid ox lowered his head in shame, knowing he had caused the death of one of his comrades.

"With all that said, understand this," he said, his voice much more calm now. "You're all family to me as much as Jadeite. I will always pray for your safe return when I send you on a mission. Every single one of your brethren that has perished in battle has brought pain to my heart. I only send out one of you at a time because I fear losing you all too quickly. I care about you all, but my duty to the Queen comes first to my emotions." He placed a hand over his chest as if her were saluting Queen Metalia. "I ask that from now on, you put maximum effort into your missions. No holding back, no playing games. Obtain life energy for our great ruler, and vanquish any Sailor Soldiers that get in your way!"

"Yes, Master Kunzite!" the monsters all roared in unison, copying the hand-over-chest salute.

Kunzite felt the edge of his mouth perk up into a smile. There was something about the undying loyalty of his monsters that just brought him indescribable happiness. Of course, this joy only heightened the depression he felt when one of them died. They may just be monsters, but they had been under his command for eons, and as he said they felt more like family now than disposable soldiers.

"Oh, Kunzite?" a sly, feminine voice came from the darkness.

The silver-haired man turned around and saw a half-woman half-cat monster walking up to him. She was incredibly slender, with smooth, defined curves and a delicate face. This face, however, was complete with cat-like features, including whiskers, bright yellow eyes, and pointed ears. She also had sharp claws on her hands and a long, striped tail. She was dressed in a short, tight, and strapless black dress and black knee-high boots, giving her a dominatrix-like appearance.

"Felina," Kunzite said in greeting.

"That was quite the speech you gave," the cat-lady purred. "In fact, it has me motivated to go out and give the Sailor Soldiers a shot of my own."

"Are you sure?" the Dark Knight said, sounding slightly concerned. "Will you be able to gather human energy without losing your life to the Sailor Soldiers?"

Felina giggled. "Oh, trust me. I have a… different kind of energy in mind that should suffice just as well."

* * *

The door to the Crown Arcade creaked open, and Usagi slowly stumbled in, exhausted after a long day of school. She was hunched over, dragging her backpack along the concrete all the way. Miraculously, there were no tears in it despite this.

"Man, school was a drag today… and I got detention for being late again…" Usagi sighed. As quick as a wink, she perked up and replaced her sagging frown with a bright smile. "But now I get to spend time with my bestest friends! Right guys?"

"Stop stealing my coins! I killed that monster so they belong to me!" Makoto shouted. She and Rei were pounding away at the Sailor V video game, already at each other's throats.

"It's not like I can get any coins on my own! This cat can't even attack!" Rei retorted. "C'mon, please let me be Sailor V for awhile."

Makoto smirked. "Sorry girl, you should've thought of that before you threw scissors and lost to my gun."

"Gun isn't even part of rock, paper, scissors! Some idiot just made that up one day so they could win all the time!" The raven-haired girl's face was turning red from her anger.

"Are you suggesting that I'm an idiot?" Makoto asked, turning her own shade of angry red. "You're one to talk, seeing as how you don't even go to school!"

Usagi watched the two go at it, feeling tempted to intervene, but decided against it so she wouldn't get incinerated by their fiery temper. Those two were really made to argue.

"They've been at this for almost an hour," Ami said, stepping up to Usagi. "Where have you been all this time?"

Usagi nervously rubbed the back of her head. "Uh… I got detention again," she squeaked.

Ami shook her head. "Oh well, I guess I'm not surprised at this point."

"Wait, what?!" Usagi snapped.

Ignoring the blonde girl, Ami continued. "You at least spent detention studying, right?" Usagi froze, maintaining eye contact with Ami but not saying a word. Despite not getting a direct response, the nerdy girl read her like a book. "Usagi, don't you remember the motto we came up with during our tutor sessions?"

Usagi groaned at this. "Any and all free time is study time," she said, imitating Ami's voice and pretending to adjust a pair of glasses.

Ami smiled. "Right! Good to hear we're on the same page!" She patted Usagi on the back and then walked over to Rei and Mako, deciding to risk trying to break up their argument.

Usagi found herself hunched over again, feeling as if she had had the weight of school applied ot her once again due to Ami's comment. However, she straightened up again when she heard the door open. Turning around, she found herself face-to-face with nobody, but then looking down, saw a small black cat standing on the welcome mat. "Oh, Luna! You're here!"

"Yeah, I'm here," Luna said quietly. "Let's just start the meeting and get it over with."

As the cat sauntered over to the other girls, Usagi eyed her suspiciously. She sure did seem depressed for some reason, and Usagi had never seen her act this way before. "Maybe she really feels bad for insulting Mako? Ah well, I'm sure she'll feel better after she apologizes!" With that, Usagi skipped over to her friends and Luna, pulling up a stool and letting the Soldier Meeting begin.

Luna had the girls gather around her. "Thank you all for coming again. I understand these meetings are usually short notice, but I like to keep you all updated as much as I can."

Suddenly, Usagi cleared her throat. "Um, Luna? Isn't there something you want to say to a certain someone?"

"Uh…" Luna hesitated. "That's right! I just wanted to tell… you all that I'm very proud of your work as Sailor Soldiers so far! You've managed to stand up to several of the Dark Kingdom's knights and emerge victorious. That's not an easy feat for any normal-" The black cat paused when she saw Ami reading a book, not paying attention. "Ami? Are you listening?"

The blue-haired girl looked up from her book. "Oh, sorry Luna. It's just that I have some cram school homework I need to catch up on. I didn't get anything done due to the battle last night."

Luna felt a sting of guilt when she said this. Then, Rei joined in the conversation. "Same here. I missed an entire Tai Chi class because of that fight. I mean, I guess that could have counted as training though…"

"And I was gonna make a batch of cookies last night!" Makoto blurted out. The girls all gave her an odd stare. "What? I like cooking. Don't judge me!"

Luna lowered her head. "I'm… I'm sorry this is such a huge burden you all," she stammered. "Uh… excuse me! I just remembered I have to talk to my boss!" The cat suddenly ran away from the group and out the front door to the arcade.

"I wonder what that was about?" Ami said.

Rei shrugged. "Beats me." She heard the sounds of 8-bit laser blasts, and whirled around to see Makoto back on the Sailor V game. "Hey! Are you trying to make progress without me?!"

"You snooze, you lose, Bruce Lee," Mako said in a snarky tone.

* * *

Luna ran into an alley, trying desperately to contain her frustration. Once the cat knew she was alone, she used the crescent mark on her forehead to conjure up her 'communication bubble,' within which was the shadow of her boss.

"Luna? What's the matter?" he asked, clearly able to see that the cat was on the brink of crying.

"S-Sir, I have a request…" Luna said, her voice trailing off. "Please! We need to bring Sailor V back!"

"What are you talking about? We already enacted Plan D. There's no going back at this point," the boss responded very straightforwardly. "Are the girls not living up to their responsibilities?"

"No, it's the opposite. They're all fulfilling their jobs as Sailor Soldiers perfectly. But…" She paused, a single tear finally trickling down her face. "I think this all might be too much for them to bear. Their lives are being turned upside down due to all these battles. I'm concerned that one day it will start to have a much greater effect on them."

The boss listened carefully, mumbling at the end as if deep in thought. "May I ask what brought this about?"

Luna paused again, not wanting to recall what happened between her and Usagi. "Last night, before the storm began… I got into an argument with Sailor Moon, and she locked me outside. She left me in the cold rain for almost the entire night. At first, I thought she had gone too far, and that she had acted immature. But then, I realized that she's still very young, so of course she would act that way." She looked back up to the bubble. "Sailor Moon is supposed to lead the soldiers, but I don't think she's ready for that responsibility!"

"Sailor V was no older than they were, and yet she-"

"She was a special case!" Luna interrupted. "We can't expect every girl to be exactly like Sailor V! That's not right!"

The boss sighed. "Luna, listen to me…"

"Wait!" Luna interrupted again. Her attention had drifted away from the communication bubble and over to a group of cats that were now walking down the alley. They slinked along in a single file line, not making a sound or blinking an eye. As they passed by, Luna swore she couldn't even hear them breathing. However, at the same time, she could feel a heavy energy emanating from them. "Those cats have dark energy all over them. Sorry sir, we'll have to continue this later."

Before her boss could continue, she dispersed the communication bubble and began following the line of stray cats. As they all headed deeper into the alley, Luna could feel the dark energy growing stronger with each step she took. There was a monster nearby, no doubt about it. But why was it controlling cats? Luna decided she would find out first and then call the girls, just in case it was nothing too serious.

* * *

"Luna's been gone an awful long time," Usagi said to herself. "I bet she's just trying to dodge that apology she promised…"

"Apology? What apology?" Makoto asked, sounding interested.

Usagi turned to the taller girl. "Luna said some pretty mean things about you last night, so I told her-"

"What?!" Makoto interrupted. She proceeded to crack her knuckles and grit her teeth. "So, what did little miss kitty cat say about me?"

The young blonde quickly threw up her hands in defense. "Whoa, whoa, calm down Mako! I made her promise to apologize! Don't worry, she'll explain everything when she gets back!"

"She'd better…" Makoto growled. The taller girl then glanced over Usagi towards the door. "Hey, who's that? I've never seen her around her before."

Usagi turned around and saw an old lady taping a piece of paper to the Crown's front door. As the curious girl looked closer, she could see that the paper said 'Missing,' along with a picture of a brown striped cat and a phone number. Her heart immediately melted.

"Excuse me!" Usagi called out, running over to the woman. "Is that your cat? Is he missing?"

The old lady sighed in a raspy breath. "Yes. This is my cat, Aiko. I've had her ever since she was a little kitten, but she went missing this morning and I haven't seen her since. I'm so worried about my little girl…"

"The poor thing. I'm so sorry for your loss," Usagi consoled. "I hope you find her soon!"

"It's not just Aiko, though," the old lady said. "Cats have been disappearing around Tokyo all morning. First, my neighbors said their cat went outside to pee and never came back in. Then, my sister called me and said her cat had vanished as well. It's as if there's a group of cat kidnappers on the loose!"

"Cat-nappers?!" Makoto snarled. "Those monsters! How dare they kidnap a bunch of adorable kittens?" She knelt down to the old lady to meet her height. "Don't worry, ma'am. If I find those bastards, I'll be sure to let you know first."

The old lady smiled. "Thank you, young lady. You're such a kind little… I mean, big girl!" The elderly woman then turned and headed out of the arcade.

Makoto turned back to her friends, who were all giving her the same odd look again. "What? I like cute things, okay?" The others just kept staring. "Just because I'm a badass doesn't mean I can't think cute things are cute! Don't be so dense, people!"

"I can't tell if you have layers, or if your just really inconsistent," Rei scoffed.

"Are you saying I have an inconsistent personality?!" Makoto snapped back. "At least I have one, tae-kwon-DORK! Your personality is as flat as your chest…"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Rei shouted at the brunette, jumping out of her seat and storming over to her.

"Wait, guys stop!" Usagi cried. Makoto and Rei paused their squabbling to listen to the bun-headed girl. "She said cats are disappearing all over Tokyo, and Luna's out there on her own! She could be in danger!"

"So what?" Makoto huffed. "That talking kitty annoys me! I say let her get snatched up!"

Rei got up in her face. "You're going to help us find Luna, or I'm going to transform and plant one of my high heels up your rear!"

"Petty threats won't get you anywhere, Miss A-Cup…" Makoto said, crossing her arms and looking away.

Rei was about to go full-rage mode, but Ami pulled her away and stepped up to Makoto instead. "Please Makoto. These kidnappers could be big tough guys. We could use your strength if that happens."

The brunette was about to refuse again, but caved in when she saw the pleading look Ami was giving her. "Ugh… alright, fine. I'll go…"

Suddenly, Usagi grabbed the three girls' hands and yanked them out the front door. "Well come on already! We have to act fast! Luna could be halfway across town by now, or worse…" The bubbly blonde continued to ramble worst-case scenarios as she tore down the sidewalk in search of her feline friend, her Soldier comrades quite literally in tow.

* * *

Luna continued to stalk after the entranced cats. She had been following them down several back alley bends and turns, but finally saw they were coming up on a clearing. Even from this distance, Luna could see what looked like dozens of other cats gathered around something. She quickly ducked behind a dumpster to avoid being seen, then peeked out around the corner to get a view of the scene.

Over fifty cats were sitting in a wide open parking lot that was crammed between three tall brick buildings. The asphalt lot was riddled with cracks that had grass growing between them, making Luna think that the lot hadn't been parked in for years. At the front of the kitty crowd was a tall, lanky monster that appeared to have the body of a woman, but the facial features of a cat. She also had a tail, sharp claws, and short brown hair all over her body.

"Welcome, my kitten brethren! My name is Felina, and I am your new master!" She pulled out a long whip from one of her thigh-high boots and cracked it. "You have all gathered here today to serve a great purpose. Offer up your energy to me, so that I may give it to our one true ruler, Queen Metalia!" Felina cracked her whip again, and immediately glowing tendrils of energy emerged from the crowd of cats and flowed into the cat-lady's hand.

Luna grunted in pain, feeling as if her heart was being pulled out of her. The monster's trick was affecting her too! "No, I'm stronger than this!" she told herself. She clutched her paws over her chest and flexed every muscle in her body, trying to hold in her energy. Eventually, the ripping pain subsided. "Whew, that was close," Luna sighed. "I've got to call the girls!" She focused her power and tried to call out to Usagi, but suddenly thought twice. If she brought the girls here to fight, she would be going against what she had told her boss earlier.

"I have to do this myself!" Luna said stoutly. "I made a promise to the Queen ages ago that I would look after her soldiers and the Princess! As a member of the Moon Kingdom, it's my duty to protect the innocent, no matter how strong our enemies are." Now filled with burning confidence, she jumped out from behind her dumpster hiding spot and faced Felina. "Those girls have been through enough! I can do this!"

Luna charged at Felina, weaving through the cluster of cats with great agility. Before the monster could react, Luna leapt at her face and dug her claws into her skin. Felina let out a scream of pain, completely shocked but the sudden attack. The black cat swung her arms wildly, slashing deep cuts into Felina's face. Just as the cat-lady was about to grab her, Luna sprung off and landed nimbly on the ground.

"What do you think you're doing, slave?" Felina hissed with rage.

"I'm no slave to you!" Luna shouted defiantly. "I am Luna of the Moon Kingdom, and I'm here to stop you an set all these cats free!"

Felina grinned. "The Moon Kingdom, eh? No wonder you're such a strong little kitty. I bet your energy will be a great treat to Queen Metalia…" She cracked her whip again, drawing more energy from nearby cats.

"That whip seems to be how she steals energy…" Luna thought to herself.

Felina raised her whip again, this time intending to strike Luna with it. Thankfully, Luna managed to leap out of the way. Upon landing, she changed direction and lunged at Felina's arm, clamping down on it with her teeth and hoping she would drop the whip.

The monster let out another scream, feeling the cat's teeth pierce her skin. "Damn you! Let go of my arm!" She flailed her arm wildly, throwing Luna off and sending her flying.

Luna landed on the hard asphalt, knocking the wind out of her. Before she could get up, she felt Felina's whip wind around her torso and yank her into the air again. Felina swung the black cat across the parking lot and smashed her into a dumpster with a painful crack. Luna felt a sharp pain stab through her body, as she was sure one of her ribs had just been fractured. She tried to get up, but the pain was too great and she just collapsed to the ground.

Felina walked over to Luna and stood menacingly over her. She looked back to her feline spectators. "Pay attention, my brethren! This is what happens when one of you defy me!" She raised her whip again and snapped it at Luna, the tip of the whip cracking against the black cat's body. Luna screeched in agony as she felt like a hot iron had just been touched to her skin. Not letting up, Felina brought her whip down again, snapping it against one of Luna's legs and tearing the skin open. Luna cringed and let out another screech.

* * *

"Lunaaaa! Where are youuu?" Usagi called out. She and the others had been walking up and down every street they came across, but there was still no sign of the black cat.

"Usagi, it's highly improbable that we'll find Luna by looking in random directions," Ami said.

"That, and I don't think everyone in the city wants to hear your annoying voice," Rei scoffed.

"Hey! Uncalled for!" Usagi cried. Just then, something clicked in her memory. "Oh yeah, I just remembered something! When I'm transformed, my brooch can pick up on cries for help! If Luna's in danger, my brooch should be able to find her…" She took her Transformation Brooch off her collar and held it up to the air.

Ami's eyes quickly darted up and down the streets. "Wait Usagi! Someone might-"

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

Ami, Rei, and Mako covered their eyes from the blinding light of Usagi's transformation. When the light faded, Sailor Moon stood in her trademark pose: a hand on her hip and a V-sign over her eyes.

"Are you crazy?!" Rei hissed. "Somebody could have seen you! All of our identities could have been exposed!"

"Oh, right. Sorry ReiRei!" Sailor Moon giggled. "Alright, time to check the airwaves!" She clutched her brooch to her chest and began listening for Luna's voice. Multiple distinct cries for help came flooding into her mind. "Okay… that's a little kid who stubbed his toe… that's an old lady who can't open a pickle jar… that's a woman telling her husband to 'do it faster.' Not sure what that's about…"

The three other girls all blushed, knowing exactly what was going on there. They suddenly became uncomfortable, knowing they were basically eavesdropping on people's lives.

"Luna!" Sailor Moon screamed suddenly. She collapsed to her knees.

"Usagi!" Rei quickly ran to her side and supported her. "Are you alright? Did you find Luna?"

Sailor Moon got back to her feet, wiping a tear that had formed in her eye. "I did, and she's in pain. I think a monster is hurting her!"

Without thinking twice, Makoto whipped out her Transformation Pen. "Then we've gotta go after her! Let's transform and kick some ass!"

Ami quickly grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Maybe we should do it away from the streets in case somebody does come by?"

"Oh, right. My bad," Makoto confided. She, Ami and Rei dashed into a nearby alley and held up their pens.

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

"JUPITER POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

Felina continued to torture Luna, striking her with her whip over and over again. The cat's pained cries had all but ceased, being replaced with weak grunts. "So, are you ready to give up your energy to the great ruler?" Felina asked in mock politeness.

"N-Never…" Luna said, her voice barely escaping her throat.

"Have it your way. I'll just have to suck it out of your cold, kitty corpse!" Felina laughed as she raised her whip again. Luna closed her eyes as tightly a possible, bracing for the impact.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

The Sailor Soldiers had arrived on the scene, with Moon at the front. She saw Felina standing over something with a whip in her hand. As her eyes traveled down, she saw Luna lying on the ground, covered in deep cuts. "Luna!" She turned to Felina and glared at her with full blown rage. "You… you're gonna pay for this!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for courage! I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

Felina just frowned. "Oh, it's you four. My brethren, tear them to shreds for me…"

In an instant, what seemed like a tidal wave of cats came rumbling towards the Sailor Soldiers. All fifty of them leapt into the air and attacked the four soldiers, biting and scratching like a horde of rabid devils. As soon as the girls shook off one cat, another would jump onto them and continue the voracious assault.

"This is horrible!" Sailor Moon cried. "We can't fight a bunch of cute little cats!"

"For once, I think we can agree, sister," Makoto said as she tossed a pair of cats off her back. "I would never punch anything this adorable!"

"Get it together, you two! It's them or us!" Mars shouted to them. She was busy striking at the cats with knife hands, hitting them between the ribs and at the base of their necks. However, unlike her experience with people, the cats didn't immediately go limp with the strikes. "Mercury! Do you know where pressure points are on cats?!"

"Sorry, but no!" the Soldier of Water called back. "We'll have to try something else…"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Mercury threw up a mist in an attempt to blind and stun the savage cats. While they did appear confused for a second, it still didn't stop them from continuing their attack.

"What's going on? How can they still see us?" Mercury cried.

Felina giggled maniacally. "Idiots! Cats use their noses to hunt their prey! Even if they can't see you, they can still smell you!"

"Does anybody else have a plan?" Mercury shouted as another cat latched onto her neck.

"Oh, just give up already! You all clearly don't understand the ravenous power of my brethren! As long as they are loyal to me, you don't stand a chance!" Felina laughed to herself for a moment, before stopping abruptly to look down at the injured Luna. "Oh, but there's an interesting thought… tell me, slave. Are those four your friends?"

"Yes… and they're going to… defeat you…" Luna choked.

"I think we both know at this point that that's not going to happen, but I am willing to make a deal with you," Felina snickered. She knelt down to Luna and stroked her behind the ears. "Offer up your energy to me, and I'll spare your friends for today. That's a fair trade, wouldn't you say?"

Luna's eyes went wide. She couldn't believe this monster was making such an offer. She glanced over to the Sailor Soldiers, who were now on their knees being torn apart by the raking claws of dozens of evil cats.

"Don't do it, Luna!" Sailor Moon screamed to her. "You can't give your life for ours! I can't accept that!"

"And who's to say she won't kill us anyway after you're gone?" Jupiter added.

Luna thought long and hard for a moment, considering both what Felina said and what Moon and Jupiter said. "I'll do it…" she said weakly.

"No!" Sailor Moon screamed.

"I'm a bother to you girls, aren't I?" Luna whimpered. "Once I'm gone, you can all go back to your normal lives…"

"I guess that means you've made your decision!" Felina hissed with glee. She stood up and raised her whip over her head, preparing to bring it down on Luna and suck her energy right out of her. Right as she was about to deliver the fatal strike, she felt a strong hand grab her wrist and prevent her from swinging her whip. "What the…?" Felina snarled as she turned and saw a man in a tuxedo and a mask standing before her.

"Tuxedo Mask! Thank goodness!" Sailor Moon cried happily.

"You dare bring harm to an innocent cat?! You make me sick!" Tuxedo Mask twisted the monster's wrist, loosening her grip on her whip. He quickly snatched the weapon out of her hand and ducked away from her.

"Give that back! You have no idea what power it possesses!" Felina snapped.

"I've seen enough to know this whip steals power from defenseless creatures like those cats! And if their power is locked away in here…" Without finishing his sentence, the dark-haired man pulled either end of the whip with all his might, causing the rope to break apart with a loud snap.

Immediately, glowing tendrils of energy burst from the stumps of the two ropes and returned to the bodies of the fifty cats. As their energy returned, their savage behavior all but vanished, and they quickly became docile, ceasing their attack on the Sailor Soldiers.

"My brethren!" Felina screamed. Enraged, she turned to Tuxedo Mask and glared at him with piercing yellow eyes. "You may have destroyed my strongest weapon and freed my army of slaves, but this cat still has her claws!" She held up both hands, and from her fingers extended sharp, shiny claws. She ran at Tuxedo Mask and slashed at him with one of her clawed hands, inflicting a deep cut into his chest and shredding his bow tie. The tuxedo-clad man grunted in pain as his white undershirt turned a dark crimson color.

"No! Tuxedo Mask!" Now free of the cats, Sailor Moon and the others got to their feet. "We have to help him, guys!"

"On it, Moon!" Jupiter said confidently before turning to Mercury. "Hey, Big Blue! What do you say we team up to kick this creepy cat lady to the curb?"

Mercury cringed a little at her nickname, but nodded in agreement. "I assume you know what happens when water and electricity mix?"

Jupiter grinned. "Why else would I pick you?"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Mercury's mist surrounded Felina, but before the monster could react, the mist was electrocuted by Jupiter's thunder attack. The lightning bounced off every microscopic drop of water in the air, creating a cloud of pure electricity that completely fried Felina. However, despite the relentless shock attack, the crazed cat-lady was still alive and kicking.

"Damn you…" she growled.

"Sailor Moon! Finish her now!" Tuxedo Mask shouted.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon threw her tiara swift and sure, sending it straight at Felina's head. In an instant, the monster was brutally decapitated, her stumped neck spurting black blood in the air like a fountain. As her head rolled to the ground, the skin melted off until nothing but a skull was left. Her body quickly followed suit, but once all her bones were exposed, they disintegrated into a heaping pile of dust.

* * *

Usagi placed a gentle hand on Tuxedo Mask's chest, which now bore three bloody cuts from Felina's claws. "Are you gonna be okay? They look pretty deep."

"Don't worry, they're not that deep. They just sting a little," Tuxedo Mask said with a smile.

Usagi's eyes shimmered with admiration. "You're so strong…" She spaced out for a moment, lost in his dark eyes, but quickly snapped back to reality. "T-Thank you… for saving Luna. I don't know what I would've done if she gave up her energy."

Tuxedo Mask placed a hand on her shoulder. "I've always got your back, Sailor Moon. I would never let you or any one of your friends get hurt." Before Usagi could respond, he turned to leave, swishing his cape into the air as he did. "Until we meet again!" With that, he took off down the alley and left Usagi standing in awe.

"Someday… I'll find out who you really are, Tuxedo Mask." She walked back over to her friends. Ami was hard at work bandaging up Luna's injuries. "Will she be okay, Ami?"

"I'm doing my best to fix her up, but I advise you take her to see a professional vet. From what I can tell, I think one of her ribs is broken," the blue-haired girl informed with dismay.

"Luna…" The young blonde knelt down to her feline companion. "Luna, what did you mean by that earlier? That you're a bother to us?"

"You heard that?" Luna said with a guilty smile. "When you locked me outside yesterday, I was so angry at you. I kept thinking you were being so selfish and acting like a little kid. But then I remembered that you still are a kid." She looked up the other girls. "All of you have normal lives. Rei, you have your Tai Chi classes. Ami, you have your cram school. Makoto, you have those cookies you want to make. Now that you're all Sailor Soldiers, I expected you to accept your responsibility and act like adults…" She began to tear up. "But that's not fair to you! It's not fair of me to ask so much of you when none of you asked for this responsibility in the first place! I understand… if you all hate me…"

Luna stopped when she heard Usagi sobbing. She looked over to see that the bun-headed girl was in rivers of tears. "That's not true, Luna! I don't hate you at all!" she cried. "I'm sorry for locking you out of the house. It's just… I like to see good in everyone, and when other people don't see that, I get really upset. It's my fault! I'm just really selfish!" Usagi covered her face with shame and continued to cry.

Luna quickly placed a paw on Usagi's leg. "It's not your fault! I should have just apologized right away!" She turned to Mako. "Makoto, I'm so sorry. After you insulted everybody, I said some terrible things about you and questioned you as a Sailor Soldier. I should have considered how you felt after being forced to team up with a bunch of people you obviously don't like…"

Makoto scratched the side of her head. "Yeah, I may have gone a little too far with that yesterday. Turns out you guys aren't as bad as I first thought. Except Bruce Lee over here…"

"Stop calling me that!" Rei shouted.

Usagi softly pet Luna on the head. "Luna, you don't have to worry about us. Being a Sailor Soldier may not be easy, but if it means protecting the people we love, we're in it until the end!"

"She's right, Luna. You can count on us!" Ami said. "Besides, catching up on cram school work is no problem for me."

"And it's not the end of the world if I miss one or two classes," Rei said.

Makoto thought for a moment. "Meh, I guess I've got nothing better to do…"

Luna smiled, genuinely this time, and wiped away her tears. "Thank you… thank you all! You have no idea how much this means to me. You all make amazing Sailor Soldiers!"

Usagi suddenly pulled Luna into a tight hug and started crying again. "WAAAAAAHHH! I LOVE YOU, LUNA!"

"Ugh… Usagi, my ribs!" Luna grunted.

Usagi gasped and released the black cat. "Sorry! I promise we'll get that looked at as soon as possible!"

Rei scoffed. "Kami-sama… even when you're compassionate, you're so reckless, Usagi."

"Reiiii! What are you so mean to me?!" Usagi cried while the others laughed.

~A Suivre~


	12. Secrets

Here is chapter 12! A bit of a delay on this one, but my schedule's getting more erratic lately. I really wish I could upload more than once a week, but work an writer's block say otherwise (also writing fight scenes is really difficult LOL). Anyway, I figured we hadn't seen Naru or Mamoru for a while, so here's a chapter focused on them! And with a bit of surprise to boot... Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12: Secrets

Mamoru found himself running through a wide-open area. The ground was a luminous white, but the air was filled with a dense fog. All around him, he could see what looked like disfigured mountains. He couldn't tell if that was their actual shape or if the fog was distorting their image. He wasn't quite sure why he was running, but a gut feeling told him that he was chasing after something; something very important and precious to him.

"Help me!"

The voice cried out from far away, right in the path of where Mamoru was going. "Who's there?" he shouted back.

"Help me! Please!"

Deciding that further questions would only slow him down, Mamoru continued to run straight ahead. He didn't know who this person was, but they were clearly in danger, and he wasn't one to neglect a person in need. The voice kept calling out to him over and over again, and it started to sound closer and closer. When it sounded like the voice was inches in front of him, he came to a stop and looked around. However, the voice had now ceased. Mamoru was left standing in the middle of the fog, surrounded by dead silence.

"Help me…"

The voice returned, only now it was a whisper. He turned around and saw the silhouette of a woman. He couldn't make out her face, but she had long, flowing hair and a beautiful dress that reached all the way to the ground and even dragged a little bit behind her.

"Who are you?" Mamoru asked.

The woman reached out to him, a pale, delicate hand breaking through the fog. "Don't you recognize me, love?"

The word 'love' rang throughout Mamoru's mind. He had no idea who this woman was, yet she was calling him her 'love.' Could it be Naru? If so, why would Naru be calling out for help? He reached out and took the woman's hand in his own. It was warm and soft, like the touch of an angel. The woman took a step forward, and it looked like her face was about to become visible.

Suddenly, Mamoru felt something seize his free hand. It was another hand, only this was was cold and bony, as if a skeleton were now touching him. The dark-haired boy looked behind him and saw another woman, only this one was taller, had hair that extended all the way to the ground, and a form-fitting dress that hugged to her body, leaving no detail to the imagination. He felt the newcomer pull at him, trying to drag him away from the angelic woman who had been calling out to him. On the other side, he felt the first woman try to pull him back.

"Who are you two? What's going on?" Mamoru asked frantically.

He was met with no response, but instead a horrific sight. The two women suddenly grew to giant size, nearly to the height of the mountains that surrounded them. Mamoru was lifted into the air, and now found himself at the center of a deadly game of tug-o-war. He looked over to the angelic woman who called him his love, seeing that her eyes were glowing a divine white. He then looked over to the demonic woman who had interrupted them, and saw that her eyes were glowing a devilish blood-red. As the pair of titan-sized women continued to pull at him, each one trying to claim him for themselves, Mamoru could feel his body begin to split at the middle. He let out a terrified scream of agony as he was violently ripped apart.

SNAP!

Mamoru woke up, sitting bolt-right up in his bed, panting and clutching his chest. It felt like his heart was being torn in half. He was sweating all over, to the point where his sheets and pillow were damp. He felt the cool night air blow into his room, chilling the already cold sweat that covered him.

"That dream… it felt so real…" he said to himself. "I remember that girl from my other dreams, but who was that new one? Her hand was so… cold, like a corpse."

He gazed out the open curtains, seeing that the moon was full and shining bright across Tokyo. Every time he looked at a full moon, it filled him with both exhilarating joy and gut-wrenching sorrow. What did it all mean? The dreams, these feelings, and most importantly, him. The young boy rolled over and tried to fall back asleep, but instead found himself lying there in discomfort for the rest of the night.

* * *

Even after a hot morning shower and two cups of coffee, Mamoru found it next to impossible to keep his eyes open as he walked into school. He had never fallen asleep in class before, but he could tell that today his fight against sleep would be a battle for the ages. Luckily, he knew there would be someone who would be able to keep him in check for the day.

"Mamoruuuu!" a cheery little voice called out from down the hall. The tall boy turned around with a smile to see his girlfriend Naru running up to him. The redhead latched onto his arm and clung to him like a small child. "How's my biggest bestest boyfriend doing?"

"Well, I got no sleep last night, so that's a start," he said, laughing at his own misery.

Naru, however, looked concerned. "You poor thing! What happened? Were you having nightmares or something?"

The fact that she was spot-on startled Mamoru a bit, but to ease the girl's mind, he decided to lie. "No, I just wasn't tired last night. I guess it's catching up to me now."

"Don't worry! I'll stay by your side all day and pinch your nose in case you fall asleep!" Naru chirped.

Mamoru chuckled. His girlfriend never ceased to be adorable. "Alright, as long as you don't put ice down my back or anything." They two continued to laugh together as they walked down the hallway.

"Hey Mamoru, don't fall asleep in class," a mocking voice said from behind them. The two looked back to see Usagi standing there with a smug smile on her face. "If you fall asleep, your grades might fall behind, and then you'll have to take make-up tests…" she sneered.

"Usagi, that wasn't called for," Naru calmly chastised.

"What are you talking about? He makes fun of my school skills all the time!" Usagi retorted.

"I'm not making fun of you, Bun-Head," Mamoru said. "I'm just pointing out where you need to improve so you don't end up failing."

"I don't need you to tell me where to improve!" Usagi snapped. "I'm perfectly capable of keeping my own grades up! Gosh, you're such a jerk, Mamoru Chiba!"

"That's enough!" Naru suddenly shouted. "I won't let you talk to him like that anymore, Usagi!"

"Naru…" the blonde girl said, her voice shrinking. "Are you… mad at me?"

"Yes I'm mad! All you ever do is be mean to Mamoru when he's done nothing to deserve it!" she continued to rant.

Usagi narrowed her eyes. "Well, fine! I guess that means you're on his side now! And any friend of Mamoru is no friend of mine!"

"Fine!" Naru yelled.

"Fine!" Usagi repeated.

The redhead held onto her boyfriend's arm and dragged him away from her BFF (or ex-BFF at this point). "C'mon, Mamoru. Let's go to class… so Usagi can be late again!"

"Hmph!" Usagi huffed, crossing her arms and holding her chin high. As she watched the two walk away, the fire in her began to fade, and it was replaced with a cold emptiness that brought a sad frown to her face.

"Well, this is quite a situation you've gotten into," Makoto said, popping out of nowhere and startling the blonde.

"A rather challenging equation, I'd say," Ami said, appearing in a similar fashion and making Usagi jump again. "Isn't she your best friend?"

Once she recovered from her shock, Usagi folded her arms and huffed once more. "Not anymore! She has Mamoru now, which means she's officially joined the Jerk Club!"

Ami and Makoto looked at each other and grinned knowingly. "Jealous much?" they said in unison.

Usagi's eyes widened. "Jealous?! Why the heck would I be jealous?"

"You said it yourself. Your best friend is hanging out with the so-called 'Jerk Club,'"

Makoto said.

Ami adjusted her glasses. "Your negative demeanor towards those two whenever they're together suggests that you feel a strong resentment towards their relationship."

"I'm not jealous!" Usagi whined. "You really think I'd be jealous of Mamoru just because he's stealing my Mama Naru away from me?!"

Makoto looked over to Ami and put on a fake squeaky voice. "Doctor, it appears our patient has contracted a deadly case of the Jellies! What should we do?"

Ami put on a deep, professional voice. "I suggest a heavy dosage of finger wagging and tongue clicks!" She and the tall brunette did just that, wagging a forefinger and clicking their tongues, non-verbally chastising the bun-headed girl.

"C'mon guys! You're acting like Rei this morning!" Usagi whined.

Naru watched the three girls horse around from down the hall. Her expression now matched the one Usagi had when she was confronting the two of them. "Looks like Usagi's found herself some new friends already…" she scoffed.

"Jealous?" Mamoru asked.

Naru felt herself cringe uncontrollably at the word. "What do you mean 'jealous?!'"

Mamoru backed up a little. "Usagi has been hanging out with those girls for awhile, and from what I can tell it's been some time since you two have-"

Naru began pounding on her boyfriend's arm with feather-light punches. "I'm not jealous! Where on Earth would you get such a ridiculous idea?!" she cried.

"Alright, alright… calm down, kid," Mamoru said, blocking the redhead's harmless jabs. "Actually, there is something else I wanted to ask you."

Naru ceased her 'attack' and perked up. The boy now had her full attention. "And what might that be?" she asked.

"Do you want to come over to my place after school?"

The question hit Naru like a freight train. Her eyes went wide and her body began to go numb. "Y-Your place? W-W-W-What for?"

"It's a surprise," Mamoru said with wink. "You'll just have to see when you get there."

Naru gulped and nervously tugged at her collar. "Um… s-sure, I think I can m-manage that…"

"Great!" Mamoru smiled. "I'll give you my address during lunch period, okay?" He went on his way down the hall towards his first period, leaving Naru standing stock-still in the middle of the hallway, her mind racing at what felt like a hundred times the speed of sound.

* * *

"Lunch-time, Lunch-time, what's-in-my-box-to-day?" Usagi sang as she skipped towards the table her friends were sitting at. She hopped into the seat next to Ami, while Makoto sat on the other side. "What do you have today, Ami?"

"Just some sushi and rice, nothing new," Ami responded.

"Lucky, my mom just packed me some ramen noodles." Usagi looked over to Makoto's lunch. "And what do you have Mak… WHOA!"

"What?" Makoto asked casually as she opened up a lunch container. "It's just a regular gyudon."

Usagi's eyes sparkled. "Yeah, but it looks like it came from a five-star restaurant! Can I have some? Please? Pleeeease?!"

"Um… may I have some as well?" Ami asked shyly.

Makoto rolled her eyes. "Freakin' lunch thieves… fine, you can have a bite." She used her chopsticks to pass a piece of the gyudon beef over to each girl. Usagi popped it into her mouth while Ami took small bites, as if trying to savor the small portion.

"Wow! This is amazing, Mako! Your mom must be an amazing cook!" Usagi beamed.

Makoto blushed. "Uh… actually, I make my own lunches. It's not a big deal, really…"

"Are you kidding? That tasted like heaven! I have to convince you to make my lunches for me every day now!" Usagi continued, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Yeah, not happening," Makoto sighed. She looked over to Ami, who was finishing the last of the beef, and then looked down to her lunch. "Hey Big Blue, ya mind if I try some of your cooking?" Not waiting for a response, the brunette reached over with her chopsticks and snatched one of Ami's sushi.

Ami tried to reach out and take it back, but Makoto was too quick and popped the sushi in her mouth. "Well, actually… my mom made-"

"Man, you're a really good cook!" Makoto interrupted. "The texture is just right, and all the flavors balance each other perfectly! You might have over-stuffed it with the tuna just a little, but that's just my inner chef speaking. A solid A minus in my book."

Ami was stunned. She was talking like a professional food judge. Any thoughts of correcting her on who actually made the sushi disappeared. "Could you… say that again?"

"The criticisms or the grade?" Makoto asked.

"No, the first part! About me being a good cook!" Ami raised her voice a little.

Mako looked confused. "Why?"

Ami shrunk away a little. "I don't know… just because…"

"Okay… you're a really good cook, Big Blue," the brunette repeated, still sounding unsure. Ami, in the meantime, smiled and tried to hide a blush. She didn't know why, but hearing Makoto compliment her made her feel extremely happy.

"I remember when Naru and I used to share lunches like this," Usagi said, changing the subject. "We would compliment each other's food, talk about how much our classes suck, and check out all the cute boys." She gazed off into the sky, a sad expression on her face. "But now… now that she has a boy, I just feel so lonely."

Ami put an arm around Usagi's shoulder, trying to comfort her as she reminisced. Makoto, on the other hand, just looked at her with a smug smile. "You know this just confirms you're jealous, right?"

Usagi instantly snapped out of her trance. "It does not!"

"Does to…" Makoto snickered.

"DOES NOT!" Usagi cried, starting to sound like a whiny kid again. Ami just sighed, knowing full well how deep in denial their little blonde friend was.

* * *

Naru stood anxiously outside Mamoru's apartment door. She looked down at the piece of paper he had given her one more time to confirm it was his address. Showing up to anyone else's home with the way she was now would definitely throw anyone for a loop. She was wearing an ungodly short black dress, a blue denim jacket, and freakishly tall high heels. She had on what would be considered way too much makeup for her age and even some of her mother's perfume.

"Maybe it's not what I think it is… maybe he just wants to give me a present or something…" she thought to herself. However, when she remembered how Mamoru had spoken to her when he offered the 'surprise,' she couldn't think of anything else he would have meant by that. "Oh man, am I ready for this? I'm only fourteen!"

At that very moment, the door in front of her creaked open, causing Naru to practically jump out of her shoes. "Oh, I thought I heard someone talking to themselves out here." It was Mamoru, dressed in a casual collared shirt and jeans. Naru just stood there in shock, trying to come up with words to say. "Wanna come in? It's getting windy out and that dress looks pretty drafty…"

"Eh?! Right! Sorry!" Naru squealed, hurrying into Mamoru's apartment. Once she was inside, she was taken aback by just how cozy it was. The walls were lined with beautiful portraits, there were potted plants everywhere, and the sofa had an elegant rose pattern on it. "Wow, it's so pretty in here!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, it gets kinda lonely so I try to spruce it up with a bunch of unnecessary decorations," he said, laughing nervously.

Naru looked taken aback. "Wait, you live by yourself? But you're only fourteen!"

Mamoru chuckled. "Actually… I'm fifteen. I got held back a year in school after an accident I was in years ago," he confessed. "Sorry if this surprises you at all, I just don't like talking about it."

"Oh… I'm so sorry to hear that," Naru said sympathetically. "Would you want to talk about it with me?"

"Maybe some other time," Mamoru responded quickly. "I don't want to kill the mood. After all, I have a surprise to give you, remember?" he said with a wink.

Naru's face immediately flushed a bright red. "R-R-Right! I totally forgot!"

Mamoru laughed. His girlfriend was so cute when she was nervous. "Well, wait right there! I'll go get it ready!" He went into another room and shut the door, leaving Naru standing in the middle of his living room.

Even though the living room was only about twelve feet across, Naru felt like she was standing in the middle of a empty void. "Oh gosh…. oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she said to herself, freaking out. "He's a year older than me, and he still wants to do this? Is this even legal?!" Naru clenched her fists. "No! If he really wants this, then I can't let him down!" She slipped off her denim jacket and threw it on the couch, then kicked off her high heels. Finally, she reached up to her back and began undoing the zipper of her dress.

Mamoru came back out of the room bearing a beautiful white dress in his arms. "TA-DA! You told me you love modeling, so I thought I'd have you try on this new dress I've been making!"

Naru's eyes went wide and she turned red as a beet. She quickly moved her hands away from her dress' zipper. "W-Wow, Mamoru! It's b-beautiful!" At this point, all her worries went down the drain. What an idiot she'd been! To think that a boy as pure-hearted as Mamoru would want to do something that lewd at their age!

"Sooo…" he urged, holding the dress out to her. "Does my princess wanna try it on?"

"O-Of course! I'd love to!" Naru squeaked. She took the dress out of his hands and hurried into the other room to try it on. She finished undoing the zipper on her dress and pulled it over her head. She then stepped into the long white dress Mamoru made for her, pulling it up over her shoulders. After a few minutes, she finally came out of the room and revealed herself to Mamoru. "Well… how does it… how do I look?"

"Breathtaking," the dark-haired boy said without hesitation. "Absolutely breathtaking." The dress reached all the way to the ground and, like his couch, had a white rose pattern embroidered into it. It almost looked like something out of a fairy tale.

Naru blushed again and lowered her head. "You…"

Mamoru just smiled. "C'mon, do a little twirl, princess."

"Shut up!" Naru giggled. She did as she was told and spun around, showing off how the dress looked from all angles.

As Mamoru observed his girlfriend, he began to wonder something. "She almost looks like…" He remember the nightmare he had, and the woman who had called out for his help. Seeing Naru in this dress, he could swear she looked like that woman. However, his mind wandered away from that thought as he noticed Naru's expression beginning to change. "Hey Naru, is something wrong?"

Naru stopped her modeling show, but this only further revealed the sad face she now had. "It's nothing," she said, but not very convincingly. She sat down next to Mamoru an his couch and folded her hands in her lap. "I just… I remember having fashion shows like this with Usagi all the time. We would try on everything in her closet and even her mom's closet!" She laughed as she reminisced, but her expression quickly fell again. "Now she only hangs out with her new friends, and we never do anything like that anymore…"

Mamoru put an arm around the redheaded girl, trying his best to comfort her. He leaned in to whisper into her ear. "So you are jealous after all."

Naru pushed her boyfriend away. "Shut up! I am not!" She folded her arms and pouted. "Usagi's right, you are a jerk sometimes!"

"Sorry, sorry," he said, taking her hand in his own. "Let me make it up to you. How about we go out for ice cream?"

The redhead's face lit up with joy. "Ice cream?! Oh my gosh, you're the best, Mamoru!" She threw her arms around the taller boy in a tight embrace before standing up and running back to the room she had changed in. "Just let me get out of this dress first!" She suddenly stopped herself and looked back at Mamoru. "Not that I don't like it… it really is beautiful!"

Her boyfriend just grinned. She was too adorable. "I know. Go on, get out of it! Now I really want ice cream too!"

Naru nodded and closed the door. She took off the long white dress and picked up her short black one. Upon putting it back on, she immediately felt the difference in the air now that practically her entire lower half was exposed. A part of her felt like putting the other dress back on, but she knew that it wasn't something to be worn in public. However, as her eyes wandered around the room she was in, she noticed something in the corner of the room. On a coat rack was a suit jacket, a long black cape, and a top hat. As she looked closer, she saw what looked like a white masquerade mask sticking out of the jacket's pocket. Her mind immediately went to the reports of a man in a tuxedo and a cape assisting the Sailor Soldiers in battle; how this strange, mysterious man would show up, save the Soldiers from certain death, and then vanish without a trace. The only reason authorities couldn't identify the man was because of a white mask that hid his face.

"No, he couldn't be… could he?" she thought. After all, Mamoru did say he designed tuxedos as well as dresses. It was just a coincidence, right? Then again, it almost seemed coincidental in the wrong kind of way…

* * *

Kunzite entered his monsters' barracks, calling for them all to stand at attention. The monsters all stood patiently before their master, waiting for his orders. "It has come to my attention that the Sailor Soldier known as Jupiter possesses incredible physical strength. As many of the old knights said, it is best to fight fire with fire. Is there anyone here who thinks they have the strength to match Jupiter's?"

The monsters all looked at each other. Most of them were lanky and frail, and relied on special abilities to defeat their enemies. Now, their master was asking for someone who used pure brawn in combat. Did a monster like that even exist in their ranks anymore? The last one they could think of with muscles like that had been Mugg, and he had been vaporized by the Soldiers days ago.

"I believe I can, Master Kunzite!" a deep, gruff voice came from behind them all. They stood aside as the monster known as Oxen came forth and knelt before the silver-haired knight. "I can assure you that I have the power to match Sailor Jupiter! I will make her pay for what she did to Mugg!"

Kunzite raised an eyebrow. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you and Mugg bitter enemies?"

Oxen shook his head. "Forgive me Master, but you are wrong. Mugg was a dear friend of mine, but a disagreement drove us apart these past few days," he said sorrowfully. "Knowing that I will never be able to reconcile with him brings me great anguish, but I believe that killing Jupiter will bring me peace of mind! Please Master, let me avenge Mugg by killing the Sailor Soldiers once and for all!"

Kunzite reached forward and pat Oxen on the head. "Your passion is admirable, Oxen. Very well, I shall grant your request. Bring me the head of Sailor Jupiter, and fulfill your thirst for vengeance!"

"With pleasure, Master Kunzite!" Oxen roared, raising his giant battle axe into the air and snorting aggressively, steam escaping his nostrils as a result.

* * *

Usagi sat on her bed, playfully kicking her legs through the air and flipping through a pink leather album book. In it were countless pictures of her and Naru from when they were much younger, about six or seven years old. The two tiny girls had on dozens of different outfits, ranging from jeans and high heels to elegant princess dresses. Usagi sighed over and over again as she reminisced about those days.

Luna, who had gotten sick of the girl's constant heavy breaths, decided to finally speak her mind. "Gee Usagi, what's the matter?" she asked in a very sarcastic manner.

Usagi didn't seem to notice the cat's tone. "I'm just looking through this old book of pictures. They're from the fashion shows Naru and I used to put on when we were in grammar school."

Luna looked at the photos. "Aww, you two were adorable!" she purred.

Usagi nodded. "Yeah, but we don't do anything like that anymore. All she cares about now is Mamoru." Tears began to swim in the young blonde's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. "I guess Ami and Mako were right. I am jealous of those two."

"You know, just because Naru has a boyfriend, that doesn't mean you can't be friends with her anymore," Luna consoled.

"I know, but it's not the same. Even when we do hang out now, all she can talk about is how great he is. And every compliment she gives him just makes me dislike him more and more!" Usagi began to rant.

"Alright, just relax. I'm sure Naru still wants to be your friend," the black cat reassured. "You'll just have to get accustomed to her being different now that she's with Mamoru."

Usagi took a deep breath. "You're right Luna. It's gonna take some serious getting used to though," she said with a smile.

Suddenly, Usagi's communicator beeped and Rei's voice came through. "Girls! Girls, come in! There's a monster on the loose just down the street from our dojo. I need you over here asap!"

Usagi swung her communicator up to her mouth. "You got it, ReiRei! I'll be there in no time!"

"Wow, this is unlike you, Bun-Head. Usually I have to hear a bunch of complaints before you finally get off your butt," Rei teased.

Usagi grinned behind the microphone. "Let's just say I have some frustration I need to get out of my system."

Luna looked concerned by the girl's expression. "Jealousy really is a dangerous beast…" she said as Usagi took off out of the house.

* * *

At the local ice cream parlor, Naru and Mamoru sat at an outside table, each enjoying an ice cream cone they had bought. Naru had gotten a triple-scoop of mint chocolate chip, who Mamoru had settled for a double-scoop of caramel swirl. Mamoru had been gushing about how beautiful his girlfriend had looked in that dress, the finishing touches he was going to make, and future projects he had in mind for her. However, Naru kept silent for most of the time except for a few 'yeahs' and cools.'

"Hey, is something wrong, Naru?" Mamoru asked calmly.

"Eh?" the redhead responded.

"You've barely said anything since we left my apartment." He reached forward and grasped the girl's free hand. "Did I do something to upset you?"

"What? No! No, of course not," Naru defended, trying to switch up her expression. However, she just couldn't shake this aching feeling she'd had since being in that room. "It's just… don't take this the wrong way, but something I saw in your apartment kinda bothers me."

Mamoru looked both confused and concerned. "What do you mean?"

Naru gripped her ice cream cone, hard enough to relieve some tension but soft enough to not crush it. "Mamoru… are you Tuxedo Mask?"

The dark-haired boy had just taken another bite out of his ice cream, but he nearly choked on it when he heard what Naru said. "W-What? What did you say?" he stuttered.

"I asked if you were Tuxedo Mask. You know, that handsome guy in a tuxedo and a cape that always helps the Sailor Soldiers. Are you him?" At this point Naru was sounding insistent.

Mamoru thought fast and faked a laugh. "You think I'm Tuxedo Mask? Is that a joke?"

"I'm being serious, Mamoru!" Naru said, raising her voice suddenly. "I saw the tuxedo in your room and it looks exactly like the one he wears in the news. Not to mention you always disappear before the Soldiers show up!"

"That's just because… I get scared of the monsters and it makes me have to use the bathroom!" he fibbed. "Besides, if I really was Tuxedo Mask, I would have told you by now. Why would I hide such a big secret from my adorable girlfriend?"

Naru, weak-willed as she was, quickly crumbled under the compliment and blushed. "Yeah, I guess you're right… sorry about that. It just seemed like such a big coincidence to me."

Mamoru chuckled. "Well, I'm glad it is just a coincidence. To think that I would be helping the Sailor Soldiers fight monsters… I'd probably die in just a few seconds!"

"Don't talk like that!" Naru said, squeezing his hand. "I know you're stronger than that. I bet you could wrestle one of those freaks to the ground!"

Mamoru thought for a moment. "Well, maybe I could throw a rose at the monsters and stun them…"

Naru raised an eyebrow. "'That's… oddly specific…"

"What can I say? I like roses," he smiled. "They remind me of you."

"You!" Naru squealed giddily. The two of them laughed together and continued to eat their ice cream.

However, as their conversation continued on, Mamoru began to feel a slight pain in his head. It started off small, making him hope it was nothing, but it quickly escalated into a full-blown migraine, causing him to drop his ice cream and clutch his head.

"Mamoru?!" Naru cried. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm fine," he lied. "Just a… really big… brain freeze…"

Naru's eyes widened a little. "Geez, that's one heck of a brain freeze. Are you gonna be okay? You dropped your ice cream."

"It's… it's alright," Mamoru said, gritting his teeth. The migraine was getting worse, and he knew exactly what it meant. "I just… need to go to the bathroom… splash some water on my face." He got up and began to walk off, leaving Naru seriously weirded out.

"Okay… let me know if you need my help!" She watched her boyfriend walk around the building, where she assumed the bathroom probably was. Just then, she remembered something. "Wait a minute… I've been here before! This place doesn't have a bathroom!" The redhead jumped to her feet and took off after Mamoru.

She ran around to the back of the building only to find the boy completely gone. Her eyes darted around, trying to locate her boyfriend, but no luck. "He can't have gone far…" she thought. Just then, directly above her, a shadow whisked across the gap between the ice cream shop and the building next to it. Naru backed up, trying to see where it came from, and that's when she saw him: Tuxedo Mask was leaping across the rooftops, heading off into the night. "I knew it!" Naru hissed. She took off down the street, chasing who she knew just had to be Mamoru under that mask.

* * *

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

The four Sailor Soldiers' attacks converged onto a single target, creating a mammoth explosion that lit up the entire city block. However, when the flames died down, the monster Oxen was still standing at the center of the blast.

"Enough of your interfering!" Oxen roared, looking at Moon, Mercury and Mars. "I'm after Jupiter and her alone!" He turned to face the tall brunette. "You killed my friend Mugg, and now you will suffer the same fate!"

"Big talk coming from a walking, talking cow!" Jupiter snickered.

"I'm an ox!" Oxen spat before charging at Jupiter, his horns lowered like a bull.

The Soldier of Courage bravely ran directly at the monster, grabbing his horns just as they were about to skewer her and kicking him in the snout. Now that he was stunned, Jupiter threw a flurry of punches at Oxen's muscular chest and stomach. However, she quickly realized that her punches were doing absolutely nothing to the hulking beast. Before she could jump away, Oxen grabbed her by the throat in his left hand. Using his right hand, he raised his battle axe into the air, preparing to decapitate Jupiter with it.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon's tiara hit Oxen's left arm, forcing him to let go of Jupiter. She leapt back just in time to escape the swing of his axe. The enormous weapon buried into the street, sending chunks of asphalt flying into the air. Jupiter quickly rebounded and smashed her fist into Oxen's face, disorienting him for a moment. Mars then came in and swept her legs underneath Oxen's, knocking him off the ground. Thinking fast, the horned beast caught his fall with one hand and spun around like a breakdancer, swinging his axe wildly and sending blades of energy in all directions. Jupiter and Mars managed to get away, but not without receiving several deep cuts which stung like hell.

"I could have finished him off if you just stayed out of my way!" Jupiter snapped.

Mars placed her hands on her hips. "Why do you always have to be so self-centered? That monster would have had your head if not for Sailor Moon and I!"

"And look where that got us!" Jupiter stood back and gestured all over her body. "My sailor uniform is ruined!"

"I thought you hated these outfits?" Mars asked, genuinely confused.

"I mean… yeah, that's what I thought at first. But now I think they're actually kinda styl- LOOK OUT!" Jupiter screamed, tackling Mars to the ground and narrowly avoiding another one of Oxen's flying energy blades.

The ox monster snorted furiously. "Fine! If you two won't fight me, I'll settle for the next best thing!" He turned to face Sailor Moon and swung his axe, sending another energy blade at the blonde heroine.

"Sailor Moon!" Jupiter and Mars cried in unison.

Sailor Moon thought about dodging, but realized the projectile was approaching too fast for that. Instead, she gripped the crown stud on her tiara.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

A white light erupted from the three red gems on her tiara and intercepted the blade. However, the force of the impact was too great and Sailor Moon was thrown against a nearby brick wall. Oxen wasted no time in lowering his horns and charging at the defenseless girl, ready to impale her. Her fellow soldiers ran to try and stop the monster, but they knew they wouldn't make it in time. Sailor Moon thought this was the end for her, but suddenly a caped figured jumped down from the building above and swung his cane like a baseball bat, smashing it into Oxen's head and knocking him aside.

"Tuxedo Mask! Thank you!" Sailor Moon chirped happily.

"Anytime, my dear," Tux said, tipping his hat to the girl.

Oxen rubbed his temple, which was still throbbing with pain. "Chivalry is a dead art, you son of a bitch!" He swung his axe, intending to take off Tuxedo Mask's head, but the man brought up his cane and blocked the attack.

"I like to think my chivalry gives me strength!" he said, gritting his teeth as he tried to hold back the monster's heavy weapon.

Oxen just laughed. "You call this strength?!" He put more muscle behind his arms, and eventually managed to break Tuxedo Mask's hold on his cane. He sent the man's weapons flying across the street and out of his reach. Not wasting a second, he buried his fist into the masked hero's face, knocking him back several yards and unknowingly knocking his mask off.

"No!" Sailor Moon cried.

Tuxedo Mask struggled to his hands and knees, but he quickly noticed that his mask was gone. As his eyes traveled across the pavement in search of it, he noticed a young girl standing some distance away from him. He couldn't make out her entire face, as she was covering her mouth in shock. However, he instantly recognized her curly red hair. It was Naru! What the heck was she doing here?

"I… I knew it…" she stuttered. "You are Tuxedo Mask…"

Immediately, Tuxedo Mask realized that his mask was still off, and his face was being revealed to this girl! He quickly snatched the mask off the pavement and slapped it back over his eyes, hoping the girl didn't get too much of a look at him. However, as he rolled over to get back up, he saw Oxen standing over him with his axe raised high above his head.

"Prepare to be hacked to pieces!" he roared.

Right as he was about to bring the axe down and dissect the tuxedo-clad man, Naru ran in front of her boyfriend and spread her arms wide, protecting him. "Stop it! Don't kill him!" she screamed.

"Naru?!" Sailor Moon shouted, not realizing she made it sound like she knew her. "I-I-I mean… what are you doing, young lady? Get out of there!"

Ignoring her, Naru faced the giant monster above her. "I won't let you hurt him!"

Oxen laughed and lowered his axe. "So, you know this one, do you? How precious…" He suddenly reached forward and grabbed Naru, lifting her into the air. The redhead immediately began screaming and kicking. "I could kill you right now, but where would be the fun in that?" Switching up his plan, Oxen ran over to a building and began climbing it, akin to a certain other muscular giant monster…

"Let her go!" Jupiter shouted, jumping onto Oxen's back and putting him in a choke hold.

"You never learn, do you?" the buff beast sneered, easily shaking off Jupiter and sending her crashing to the sidewalk below.

"Jupiter!" Mercury cried, running to her friend's side and helping her up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more worried Usagi's friend up there!" Jupiter said. The four soldiers and Tuxedo Mask gathered around the building and saw Oxen holding Naru out over the edge.

"Sailor Soldiers! Give up your energy to me or this girl dies! I'm going to count to ten, and if you don't surrender by then, I will give her a little lesson in flying!" Oxen instructed.

Naru immediately began freaking out. "What?! No! Please don't! Please let me go!"

"ONE!"

"Mercury! Can you find any weak points on him?" Mars asked frantically.

"TWO!"

Mercury activated her visor and began scanning to monster, trying to find anything they could exploit.

"THREE!"

"It looks like while his body is protected by thick muscle, his head and neck are completely exposed!" she quickly informed.

"FOUR!"

"But how can we aim like that without hitting Naru?!" Moon wailed, panicking worse than any of her friends.

"FIVE!"

Naru looked at the monster with pleading eyes. "Please let me go! Don't kill me! I swear I'll do anything!"

"SIX!"

"Please! I'm begging you!" Naru screamed, the sheer terror in her voice more prominent than ever.

By now, Oxen was seriously annoyed. "I've had enough of you… seven-eight-nine-TEN!" He finished the countdown fast and quickly threw Naru with all his might, sending her out into the open air and barreling towards the ground. The redhead screamed bloody murder as she began a fifty foot drop to solid concrete.

"NARU!" Sailor Moon cried in agony. She began to reflect on the fight the two had earlier, regretting every second of it and wishing that she could just have the chance to say sorry and make it up to her.

Suddenly, Tuxedo Mask made a mad dash toward the tall building. He jumped towards it and sprang off the brick wall with one foot, leaping nearly twenty feet into the air. The Sailor Soldiers were awestruck by the man's incredible agility. It seemed like he had timed the jump perfectly, because he collided with Naru in midair and caught her, landing nimbly on his feet as if her were a cat.

"What?!" Oxen roared. "You bastard!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Oxen was caught off guard as a thick, freezing cold mist surrounded him, obstructing his vision and causing him to stiffing up from the cold.

"Sailor Moon, get him now!" Mercury shouted.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The golden disk flew from the girl's hand, flying directly towards the monster's unprotected neck. In a split second, the beast was decapitated, and his head came tumbling down to the pavement with a SPLAT! The body slumped over on the edge of building and turned to ash. As it crumbled away, some of it sifted to the ground below, creating almost a waterfall of dust.

"Ew… that never gets any easier to watch…" Sailor Moon said, sticking out her tongue in disgust. "Wait, where's Tuxedo Mask? And Naru?"

The other soldiers looked around, and indeed, neither the caped crusader nor the redheaded damsel were anywhere to be seen.

"Maybe he took her to the hospital?" Mercury suggested.

"Maybe he kidnapped her…" Sailor Mars muttered.

"Rei! Tuxedo Mask would never do that!" Moon said, quickly defending her hero.

"How do you know that?" the raven-haired girl asked. "Men are such pigs… I don't trust them!"

"I'm sure wherever they are, Naru is just fine," Mercury reassured. "If Naru protected him, then they must know each other, right?"

Sailor Moon perked up when she heard that. "You think so, Ami?" She was morbidly curious now. It did make sense… why else would Naru protect Tuxedo Mask with her own life like that? "I wonder…"

* * *

Tuxedo Mask dipped his handkerchief in a fountain, then walked over to an unconscious Naru and placed it on her forehead. After rescuing her from Oxen, he had brought the young girl to the local park and laid her out on a bench. He had been tending to her for several minutes now, but she was still unconscious. He couldn't blame her, as he couldn't even begin to imagine the horror she felt in that moment she was thrown from the roof.

Just then, Naru's face began to twitch, as she felt something cold and damp being pressed against her face. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Tuxedo Mask kneeling next to her, gently patting her forehead with a wet handkerchief. She gasped and sat up straight, startling the man. For a moment, the two said nothing. They just sat there staring into each others' eyes, as if waiting for one or the other to make a move. In the end, Tuxedo Mask stood up and began walking away, his cape billowing out into the night air. However, he didn't get far…

Naru ran up to the dark-haired man, grabbed his shoulders, turned him around and kissed him. Tuxedo Mask's eyes went wide a dinner plates as he felt the girl's lips meet his. In that moment, his heart began to race and his mind went completely blank. His vision dimmed for just a second, and then it was back again.

Naru backed away from him, but still held onto him. "Don't run from me, Mamoru. I know it's you!" Naru said in a no-nonsense manner. When Mamoru just kept staring down at her, not saying a word, she tightened her grip on his shoulder. "Please talk to me!"

Mamoru sighed deeply and took off his mask and top hat. "You must have so many questions…" he said simply. "Yes, I am Tuxedo Mask."

"Why did you-" she began, but she was cut off by Mamoru placing a finger over her mouth.

"But that man you were just kissing… that wasn't me." He closed his eyes tightly, as if what he was telling her was causing him pain. "That was him. Tuxedo Mask."

Naru looked confused. "I-I don't understand," she stuttered.

"Tuxedo Mask and I share the same body, but we're not the same person," Mamoru said. "Every time a monster appears in this city, he takes over my mind and forces me to go help the Sailor Soldiers fight it." He took a deep breath. "I've been trying to control him for a long time, but no matter how hard I try, he always comes back."

Tears began to form in Naru's eyes. "That's awful… do you ever get hurt?"

Mamoru gestured to his face. He sported a nasty bruise on his cheek and a split lip, obviously from Oxen's punch. "All the time. What I got tonight is like a paper cut in comparison to other injuries I've had."

Naru reached up and stroked his cheek, causing Mamoru to wince. "Sorry!" she squeaked, quickly pulling her hand away. "Um… have you seen a doctor about it?"

"The injuries or Tuxedo Mask getting in my head?" Mamoru asked.

"Well… both, I guess… now that you mention it…" she said shyly.

"The injuries I usually treat myself, otherwise I'd be visiting the hospital almost every night. As for Tuxedo Mask…" He stopped to adjust his bow tie. He seemed incredibly on edge. "I saw the doctors about it years ago. They diagnosed me with Multiple Personality Disorder, but I think there's more to it than that. Anyway, I stopped going to therapy after I realized it wasn't working."

"I can't imagine how hard this has been for you…" Naru said, lowering her head.

The dark-haired boy simply shook his head and gave a sad smile. "You probably hate me don't you? I'd understand if you want to break up…"

Naru's head shot up at those words. "No!" she cried. She ran to him and embraced him in a tight hug. "I don't want to break up! Not at all! Now that I know the truth, I want to be there for you! I don't want you to be alone in this!" Mamoru was taken aback by her words. He expected her to call him freak or something, but a reaction like this was totally unexpected. "Besides… I think it's kinda cool that my boyfriend's a superhero…"

Mamoru's heart melted at those words. He returned his girlfriend's embrace and held her as tight as he could, any doubts he had now disappearing. He couldn't be more grateful to have Naru in his life.

The redhead felt something drip down onto her head. She looked up and saw that Mamoru was crying, his tears dripping down to her own face. "Don't cry, silly…" she said, wiping away his tears. "I'm right here…"

"I know," he responded quietly. "I'm just… I'm so happy right now," he said, his voice breaking a little at the end.

"At least I know you weren't ditching me all this time," Naru said.

Mamoru's eyes widened. "You were worried about that all this time?!"

"Well, when my boyfriend doesn't show up to several dates, do you think the first thing that would come to my mind is 'oh, he's just off fighting crime?'" Naru asked, giggling a little, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

Mamoru smiled. "I guess it can't be helped."

"You realize I'm going to be worried sick about you from now on, right?" the redheaded girl said.

"I don't see why," Mamoru said, grinning to her. "Because nobody beats Tuxedo Mask!"

The two laughed and hugged once more, neither one wanting to let the other go. Naru was overjoyed that her boyfriend wasn't cheating on her, and Mamoru was relieved that his girlfriend had been so accepting of his secret. After awhile though, the two began to yawn.

"I guess this is the part where I walk you home…" Mamoru said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Carry me?" Naru asked with an innocent look on her face.

"After all that ice cream you had? No way, you're gonna need exercise," the tall boy teased.

"You meanie!" Naru squealed, lightly slugging Mamoru's arm.

The two shared another laugh, then Mamoru extended his hand to the shorter girl. "Well? Ready to go m'lady?"

Naru just stood there, twirling her curly hair in her fingers. "Do you think… I could get another kiss… before we go?" It sounded like she barely managed to get those words out.

Mamoru was about to respond, but decided against it. Instead, he grasped his girlfriend's shoulder with one hand, and with the other hand gripped her chin and lifted her head up. He leaned down to her, and she stood on her toes to meet him. Finally, the two came together for a tender and loving kiss, one that made their hearts accelerate to new heights. Behind them, the fountain came on, causing thin streams of water to dance in the air and setting the perfect romantic scene. In the pool of the fountain, the full moon reflected off the surface of the water, illuminating a night the two lovers would never forget.

~A Suivre~


	13. Rei vs Jadeite

Here is Chapter 13! This one took a long time to write, despite it's simple premise. I really wanted to showcase the Sailor Soldiers (Senshi) and the Dark Knights (Shitennou) as fighters, so expect a few more confrontations like this one. Oh, and in case you're wondering, this is NOT setting up Rei x Jadeite. I never bought that ship whatsoever, nor Ami x Zoisite or Mako x Nephrite. The Senshi and Shitennou are going to be bitter enemies in this story, and nothing more. Well, maybe with the exception of one pairing... ;) Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 13: Rei vs Jadeite

The day was April 17th. The sun was shining, the birds were tweeting, and everything seemed normal. However, for a certain someone, today was a very special day.

Rei Hino was watering the plants on her windowsill. They were Casablanca Lilies, her favorite type of flower. Her grandfather always got her a new bunch every month, and for that entire month she would take care of them. They reminded her so much of her mother, as they had been her favorite flower as well. Despite being painful reminder, Rei loved having them around, because in a strange way it made her feel like her mother was still with her. However, today would be another important time of year she would have to spend without her beloved mother.

Out of the blue, the doorbell rang. Rei suspected it was her grandfather returning from his shopping trip, but why would he ring the doorbell? Perhaps her needed help bringing stuff into the dojo. Rei quickly ran out of her bedroom, down the stairs and across the training floor before finally reaching the front door. She straightened out her clothes, not wanting to be lectured by the old man for being sloppy or lazy, and reached up to open the door…

"SURPRISE!"

Rei was startled by the sudden joyous cry of her friends, whom she had not expected to be standing in the doorway. But there they were: Usagi, Ami, and… ugh, Makoto…

"Happy Birthday, ReiRei!" Usagi squealed, holding up a gift bag and a balloon in the other.

"I hope we aren't intruding," Ami said politely.

"Why am I here again?" Makoto snorted.

Rei was still shell-shocked from the unexpected greeting. "Uh… girls! What a surprise," she said, followed by a nervous laugh.

"Well, duh! That's why it's called a surprise party!" Usagi chirped, skipping into the dojo while the others followed.

The four friends made their way upstairs to Rei's room for gifts and snacks. Usagi pulled out a box of cupcakes she had picked up on the way and they all sang Happy Birthday to the raven-haired girl before doling out the petite sweets.

"So Rei, how does it feel to fifteen?" Usagi asked while shoving one of the cupcakes into her mouth. "You're officially the oldest now!"

Makoto huffed. "I still look older than her…"

Rei looked at the brunette with a smug smile. "If I recall correctly, Mako, you're the youngest of us. December 5th, is that correct?" This got her a cold glare from the taller girl.

"Okay, well… what do you wanna do today? It's your choice, anything you want!" Usagi said, trying to break the tension.

Rei thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. I've… never really celebrated my birthday with friends before," she admitted.

"That's terribly unfortunate," Ami said.

"Man, that sucks," Makoto remarked.

"Well, think about it while we open presents!" the bun-headed blonde said excitedly. "Ami, you first!"

"Oh, right…" The blue-haired girl reached behind herself and grabbed a small rectangular present. She handed it to Rei and the young martial artist quickly unwrapped it. "It's a little book of study tips! You don't want to fall behind now that you're older!"

"Amiiii! Can't we go without studying for a day?" Usagi whined.

"No, actually, this is perfect," Rei consoled. "I'm finally going to a real school next year, so I'll need to know how to study properly," she said with a smile.

Makoto raised an eyebrow. "You're just now going to school?"

Rei nodded. "I've been homeschooled for my entire life, but my grandpa thought it would be nice for me to experience high school like a normal girl." She began scratching the side of her head. "Of course, he didn't want me to get too crazy, so he's enrolling me in an all-girls Catholic high school."

"Aw man! Now you won't get to be around any cute boys!" Usagi sounded incredibly disappointed.

Rei crossed her arms and scoffed. "Hmph! As if I need boys to have fun in school."

"Trust me, you don't," Makoto assured. "Oh, right! My turn for presents!" She pulled out a much wider gift bag and handed it to Rei, who dug through the tissue paper and eventually pulled out her present. "Ta-da!"

Rei's expression dropped. "This is a joke, right?" In her hand was a pair of nunchucks, but only the training kind, with foam pads wrapped around the handles.

"What? I thought they would go well with your little Bruce Lee act…" Makoto snickered.

Rei leapt to her feet. "I'll show you a Bruce Lee act!" She was about to swing the nunchucks at the tall girl, but Usagi grabbed her and eased her back to the ground.

"Whoa, easy there, ReiRei. You still have to open my present, remember?" the blonde smirked.

Rei took a deep breath and held out her hands as Usagi placed her gift bag in them. She reached inside and quickly pulled out… "A manga?"

"Not just any manga! It's the official one-hundredth volume of the Sailor V manga! The finale of Danburite saga!" Usagi beamed. "Now, I know what you're thinking: 'But Usagi! This doesn't come out until next month!' And you'd be right, but I managed to get a special pre-order just for you! Of course, it cost me my entire allowance, but it was so worth it to get you the best birthday present ever!"

Rei gripped the manga tightly, trying to contain her excitement. She looked around and saw Ami and Makoto eyeing her suspiciously. "Usagi, I'm happy you put so much thought into my present, but I don't even read manga…"

"Eh?! What are you talking about? I know you read manga all the time!" Usagi insisted.

Rei gritted her teeth in a fake smile. "No, I don't. But… thanks anyway!"

"Yes you do! Look!" In the blink of an eye, Usagi's hand shot under Rei's bed and pulled out a huge cardboard box stocked to the brim with volumes upon volumes of manga.

Rei froze dead still. "H-H-How did you know about that?!"

"Remember that time before Mako joined us? The Crown was closed, so we had to come here for one of our meetings, and I totally saw this sticking out from under your bed!" Usagi grinned.

The raven-haired girl slapped herself in the face. "'Let's meet at my place,' I said. 'It'll be fine!' I said…"

"That's quite an impressive collection, Rei," Ami said.

Usagi's eyes widened with delight. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet, Ami!" She began to rummage through the box and pull out various manga volumes. "She doesn't just have every volume of Sailor V! She also has Action Central, Exorcism of Aki-san, Cherry Blossoms in Winter, and…" She paused for a moment, then slowly pulled out another, rather thin manga volume. "Cupid Girls?" she said curiously. Ami and Makoto went still, knowing this specific volume was a very explicit Yuri manga.

Rei's face suddenly flushed a deep hue of red as she snatched the book out of Usagi's hand and hugged it to her chest, trying to hide the cover. "Usagi! Nobody's supposed to know I have this!" she shouted.

"Geez, I'm sorry Rei," Usagi apologized.

"What gives you the right to just go rummaging through my manga collection? How would you feel if I came into your room and started going through all your stuff?!" Rei said, her voice still on the rise.

Usagi began to shrink away. "I-I'm very sorry…"

"Sorry can't fix everything!" The anger in Rei's voice was clear as day now. "You can't even think about other people's feelings on someone's birthday, can you? Kami-sama, you are the dumbest, most inconsiderate person I've ever-"

Rei stopped herself when she saw Usagi's lip quivering and tears forming in her eyes. She was about to say something else, but the blonde girl quickly jumped to her feet and ran out of Rei's room bawling her eyes out.

The raven-haired girl facepalmed. "Oh great, here we go again…"

"Rei, that was pretty harsh of you," Ami said.

"I know, but I didn't exactly ask her to expose my… preferences, did I?" Rei retorted.

Ami sighed. "True, but I'm sure there were better ways of communicating that than insulting her."

"Yeah, I agree," Makoto interjected. "I mean, she's not the smartest person in the world, but even I would never call her out for it."

Rei shot the brunette a look. "Oh, please! The only reason you're defending her is because you're an idiot too!"

Makoto just shrugged and stood up. "Whatever, I guess this party's over. If you still wanna do something with us, Ami and I are going to the arcade together."

Ami looked up at the towering girl. "Wait, we… w-we are?" she stammered.

"Hell yeah, Big Blue! I'm finally gonna beat your high score today!" Makoto said confidently.

"Oh, well… we'll see about that!" Ami said in mock intimidation.

Makoto chuckled. "You're cute when you act tough. Alright, let's move out!" She began to head out of the room, not noticing the incredibly bright blush that had spread across Ami's face.

The blue-haired girl stood up and followed after Makoto, turning around to Rei one more time. "You're welcome to join us, remember?"

Rei rubbed her head. "I… I think I'm just going to stay here for now. I might go out with you guys later but… I don't know…"

"Oh, okay. See you later then." She waved goodbye to her friend. "Happy Birthday, Rei!"

Once Ami was gone, Rei fell backwards onto her bed and groaned. "Great, another birthday to spend alone and it's all because of that stupid Bun-Head!" She thought about going to join Ami and Makoto, but quickly decided against it. She didn't really want to be around people right now. "Maybe reading that new Sailor V manga will take my mind off of things…" She reached down to the floor and picked up the new manga volume, opening to the first page. "I'll give Usagi this: she may be dumb, but she knows how to pick out presents." Rei thought back to Usagi's cheerful smile when she gave her the present, and quickly found herself torn between staying angry at her friend and feeling sorry for the way she treated her.

* * *

A tiny rat scurried across the stone floors of the Dark Kingdom. He stopped and sniffed at the ground for a moment, but his whiskers began to twitch. He sensed that danger was looming just above him. Before the poor creature could run away, a massive hand shot down and snatched him by the tail, lifting him high into the air.

"Mmm… what a tasty little morsel," Jadeite hissed. Even through the heavy shadows, it could be seen that his skin was unnaturally pale, almost ghost-white. "I haven't had a decent meal in months. But, I suppose you'll have to do for now…"

"You truly are disgusting, you know that?" Zoisite said, appearing from down the hall.

Jadeite sighed, still holding onto the rat. "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just having a lovely stroll through the halls to clear my mind," Zoisite said with a smile, which quickly shifted into a scowl. "Until I came across the repulsive sight of you trying to devour a rat! Those vile pests carry diseases, don't you know that?"

"I don't have many options around here!" Jadeite shot back. "The closest I can get would be Kunzite's monsters, but he would have my neck if I even went near them!" He began to raise the rat to his mouth again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have a little lunch…"

"Not in front of me, you won't!" Zoisite cried. The feminine man swung his hand out and smacked Jadeite's, causing him to drop the rat and allowing it to scurry away into a hole in the wall.

Jadeite's forehead popped a vein. "You just have to stick your crooked little nose into everything around here, don't you?"

Zoisite gasped and covered his face. "How dare you call my nose crooked! I'll have you know that Nephrite finds it quite cute!"

"That fool finds everything about you cute…" the shorter man sneered.

"And now you call him a fool for finding me attractive? You'd better watch what you say next, Jadeite!" Zoisite warned.

Jadeite leaned forward and grinned mischievously. "Is that a threat? Are you planning on doing something to stop me from talking?"

"Hmph! As if I'd ever sully my flawless fingertips on a weakling like you!" Zoisite huffed.

The short-haired blonde grinned even wider. "Saving those fingertips for Nephrite?"

Zoisite looked completely appalled. "Ugh! You insolent snake! I've had enough of your foul language!" The Knight of Brimstone turned on his heel and speed-walked down the hall to get away from the obnoxious Jadeite. "And if you must eat something around here, go try something in the human's world! They have… actual food down there!" he called back before disappearing around the corner.

Jadeite pondered the man's words. "Human world, actual food… human… food… human food…" He licked his lips with delight and giggled maniacally.

* * *

Rei and her grandfather sat around a table eating dinner together. In honor of Rei's birthday, Grandpa Hino had spent nearly the entire day preparing a fugu dish. It had been no easy task, but the old man was determined to make his granddaughter the happiest girl in the world on a special day like this.

"Did I do a good job on the fugu?" he asked. "I know it's your favorite."

"Of course, Sensei. It's wonderful," Rei said sincerely.

The old man sighed. "That's a relief. I was concerned I would disappoint you on your birthday…"

"You could never disappoint me," the raven-haired girl consoled.

Grandpa Hino smiled, but it quickly faded as he remembered something else. "There is something I would like to address for a moment," he said sternly.

Rei looked up from her dinner. "Sensei?"

"As soon as I walked in this house, I could feel the negativity lingering in the air. Your chi is unbalanced once again." He scooted closer to the young girl. "Did something happen today?"

Rei thought about dismissing his question, but she knew the old man would see right through her if she did. "I… got into another argument with Usagi."

"Hmm… mind telling me what it was about?" her grandfather asked.

"She was…" Rei began her sentence aggressively, but stopped herself, not wanting to go on a rant. "She was just being annoying as usual. She annoyed me, I told her off, and she got upset. The usual routine. But… this time, I think I upset her more than usual…"

Grandpa Hino stroked his beard contemplatively. "Is that all?" he asked. "Well, even it was more than usual, I no doubt you two will make up eventually."

Rei nodded. "Yeah, eventually…" She began to reach for another bite of her fugu, but suddenly clenched her fist around her chopsticks, threatening to snap them in half. "But then she'll just go out and ruin everything again!" Her tone had been thrown into terrifying aggression. "You don't get it, Sensei! She's the most frustrating person I've ever met! Sometimes I wonder if it's her life goal to irritate me!"

Grandpa Hino looked surprised. "Kami-sama, it's worse that I thought," he grunted. He continued to stroke his beard, searching his mind for an answer that would satisfy his granddaughter. "Let me ask you this: why did you two become friends in the first place?"

Rei froze. She had never been asked such a question before. Why did she become friends with Usagi? She couldn't exactly tell her grandfather that the two were basically partners in crime. "I… I don't know. Right from the start, I found her annoying. I always thought she behaved way too childlike for her age. And yet, I guess you could say that's also what I liked about her. She's annoying, yes, but she's undeniably fun to be around. Honestly, part of me wants to love her, but there's another part that wants to hate her."

"I see…" Grandpa Hino said. "You know, people are always going to get into fights with friends. That is inevitable. However, while there may be aspects of our friends that we can't stand, there are obviously aspects of them we feel drawn to. That is how any and all friendships are formed. As long as our arguments don't impede our admiration of those likeable traits, there is no doubt that we will remain friends through any hardships."

Rei thought long and hard about what her grandfather said. She took in a huge and every sentence and processed it carefully. Finally, she came to a conclusion. "You're right. Usagi may be annoying, inconsiderate, and self-centered at times, but I just can't hate her no matter how hard I try." She thought back to their argument earlier in the day. "I must have hurt her so much today…"

Her grandfather quickly placed a comforting hand on her back. "Don't worry. Remember, if you still like her despite what happened, I have no doubt that she feels the same."

"You're right," Rei said with a smile. "It is Usagi we're talking about after all."

The old man chuckled. "Now then, enough negative feelings. Have you finished your fugu?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Then I have another surprise for you. Wait here," he said almost excitedly as her ran into the other room. Rei waited patiently for a moment until her grandfather came back with a small cake in his hand. On top were fifteen lit candles that flickered in the dim lighting of the room they were in. "Happy Birthday, Rei."

Rei's smile couldn't be any brighter. "Thank you, Sensei."

* * *

Luna sat on the edge of Usagi's bed, looking down at the blonde girl who sat next to the bed in a fetal position, hugging a pillow to her body. She had been in that spot ever since she got home.

"So, how was the party Usagi?" Luna asked. She waited one, two, three, ten seconds, but got no response. "Did Rei like her gift?" Again, no response. The black cat was beginning to get worried. "Please talk to me, Usagi. If something happened, it would be healthy for you to get it off your chest."

"Luna, do you think I'm dumb and inconsiderate?" Usagi said quietly, not moving an inch.

The feline thought about giving the girl an honest answer, but realized it would probably amplify any negative feelings she was already harboring. "Of course I don't," she lied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Rei thinks I am!" The blonde stood up suddenly, raising her voice. "She thinks I'm the dumbest, annoyingest, selfishest person she's ever met! All because I looked at her manga collection! It was so uncalled for!" She turned to look at Luna, and the cat could see Usagi's face turning red with anger. "She's so mean! She's the biggest meanie in the world! I bet if I broke my leg, she would still make fun of me! I bet if I got beat up and robbed, she would still make fun of me! I bet if I DIED tomorrow, she would still make fun of me!"

"Usagi…" Luna began, but stopped when she saw tears rolling down from Usagi's face.

"She's so mean, but… but I…" She was having a hard time forming words. "I just want us to be friends…" she whimpered. She collapsed to her knees and planted her face into the bed, sobbing profusely.

Luna reached out to comfort Usagi, but quickly retracted her paw, not sure if the young girl wanted contact at the moment. "I know Rei can be mean, but that doesn't mean she hates you or… wants you dead."

Usagi kept her face pressed against the bedsheets. "Why does she have to be mean though? I know she's messing around sometimes, but other times, it really hurts."

"Maybe that's just who she is. Not everybody is perfect Usagi." Luna thought hard about what she was going to say next. "This may not be the answer you want to hear, but if you want to stay friends with Rei, you may just have to accept that she's not always a nice person."

Usagi finally looked up from the sheets, her face soaking wet from her tears. "You're right. That isn't what I wanted to hear," she muttered before dropping her head again.

Luna sighed. She wanted to comfort Usagi, but nothing she was saying appeared to be working. Could what Rei said really have hurt her that bad? The raven-haired girl seemed to insult Usagi all the time, so what was different now? The cat's head spun as she tried come up with a solution. So this is what it was like not having all the answers...

* * *

The sun was beginning to go down over Tokyo, and a construction site was finishing with packing up the work area. The foreman stood on the ground below the large structure, going over a clipboard and marking things off.

"I guess that just about covers everything," he said to himself. He looked up the tall, incomplete building, where his workers were still organizing everything. "Guess it's time to tell the boys to come on down."

Before he could move a muscle, he felt a sharp pain in his back, followed by a harsh burning sensation in his chest. He looked down to see that something red and shiny protruding from his chest, right where his heart should be. The slow realization came to him that some madman had snuck up behind him and stabbed him in the back.

"Shh… shh…" a soft, hissing voice whispered into his ear. "Sweet dreams."

With a sudden jolt, the sharp object was yanked out of the foreman's body, but by now he had lost so much blood that he had practically gone numb. He collapsed to the ground, feeling his life slipping away, and in mere moments, he was dead.

Jadeite looked down at his handiwork with a cheerful smile. "Fear not, human. Your death will grant me a fine meal…" He reached a hand over the foreman's chest wound and clenched his fist. A tendril of blood snaked out of the man's open chest wound and hovered is the air next to Jadeite's fist. The blonde man guided the blood up to his face and opened his mouth wide, allowing the crimson tendril to flow down his throat and into his own body. In a matter of seconds, the foreman's corpse was drained of all blood, and Jadeite's skin had gone from deathly pale to a lively peach once again.

"Mmm… quite bitter, but satisfying nonetheless," he contemplated. He looked up to the building that was under construction, then smiled at the dead foreman. "I think I'll go say hello to your friends. My stomach is still growling something fierce!"

Jadeite walked over to what looked like the entrance to the building, only it was covered in layers of yellow caution tape. However, he was not going to let this get in the way of his next meal. He raised his arm and formed a knife-hand, conjuring up another dark-red blade like the one had had used to kill the foreman.

"Open sesame…" he hissed before swinging his arm and slicing the caution tape into ribbons.

* * *

Rei sat in the middle of her room, her legs crossed, surrounded by candles, and deep in a meditative state. It still took her some time to calm and focus, especially after what had happened earlier, but thankfully she finally managed to get in the right state of mind, or rather, lack thereof. The young martial artist was now floating in space, surrounded by the essence of the physical world. She no longer saw, heard, or smelled things, but she felt them. It was as if her spirit had become part of the world itself.

As her conscience drifted further and further from her body, she began to feel a strange presence. She could tell it was a person, but there was something… off about them. She continued to float through the void, following the presence to wherever it might be. She could feel it getting closer, yet the closer she got, the more her heart tightened. Why was this presence making her feel so anxious?

Suddenly, she looked up and was met with an ungodly horrifying visage. A man with short blonde hair was standing over her, blood leaking out of his mouth, nose and eyes. He glared down at Rei with shrunken pupils and a maniacal grin that stretched from ear to ear. Rei tried to back away, but the man reached out and plunged his hand into her chest.

Rei snapped out of her meditation, gripping her chest and breathing rapidly, feeling as if her lungs were made of iron. However, the young girl found herself still sensing the man's presence. She could only conclude that it was either due to a strange post-meditative state of mind, or the terrifying realization that he could be close by. Rei ran to her window, quickly looking around the hill for any sign of an intruder. As she did, her eyes drifted to across the street, where she saw a building that was under construction. The longer she watched the building, the stronger the man's presence became once again. She knew exactly what it meant.

"Looks like a job for the Sailor Soldiers," she said, raising her communicator up to her lips. Just as she was about to make the call, she paused. "But… what if everyone's still mad at me? It could impede our teamwork…" She looked back at the construction site, wiped the sweat off her brow, and took out her Transformation Pen. "Makoto beat a monster on her own once. No reason I can't do the same…"

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

Sailor Mars successfully snuck out of her house without her grandfather hearing, and she had made it over to the construction site. She took note of the slashed caution tape, but failed to notice the body of the foreman that had been hidden behind a nearby truck. She began her investigation, walking around the ground floor of the building, then making her way up to the next floor and repeating the process. It was eerily quiet. She had expected to hear the sounds of workers working or at least congregating, but no such sound reached her ears. Just dead silence.

Eventually, she made her way to the fourth floor, and she was instantly greeted with a repulsive stench. Her eyes began to water and she plugged her nose to prevent any more of the disgusting odor from reaching her nostrils. Upon wiping the moisture from her eyes, she was able to see where the smell was coming from: nine dead bodies lay scattered across the floor, all wearing orange construction vests. Their bodies were pale and shriveled, as if all their bodily fluids had been siphoned from them. Mars suppressed the urge to vomit, but still felt herself regurgitate a little into her mouth. Not wanting to add another nasty smell to the room, she swallowed the vomit despite what her stomach told her.

"They make lovely house decorations, wouldn't you agree?" a slithering voice came from behind Mars. She whirled around to see a man standing in the doorway to the floor she was on. How he had gotten behind her without hearing him was beyond her. However, as she looked closely, a terrible realization sunk in: it was the man whose presence she had felt while meditating.

Sailor Mars quickly assumed a battle stance. "Who are you? Did you do all of this?"

"My my, so many questions, yet no introductions," the blonde man snickered. "Allow me to oblige as such. My name is Jadeite. I am the Dark Knight of Blood and a servant to the almighty Queen Metalia." He could see the girl was about to respond, but he held up a hand to silence her. "And you are a Sailor Soldier."

"I'm not just any Sailor Soldier…" Mars began.

"I am the pretty soldier who fight for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

Jadeite just giggled like a child. "Kunzite told me about your little… introductions, but seeing them in person is far more amusing!" He was cut off by a fireball flying past his face, nearly incinerating his head had he not been quick enough to tilt it aside.

"I swear, I will avenge all the lives you have taken here today!" Mars shouted with anger, her palm still smoking.

The Knight of Blood shook his head. "You swear, eh? I bet you would love to fulfill those words…" He suddenly rushed at Sailor Mars, swinging his arm in a mighty sweep. Mars felt a stinging sensation across her chest, and looked down to see that her sailor uniform now had a huge rip in it, and under the torn clothing was a fresh wound; a thin cut that, while painful, was only drawing a small amount of blood. She looked back at Jadeite, seeing that a blade-like weapon had formed around his hand. It was crimson-colored and shiny, as if it were made of blood. Of course, given the knight's title, if probably was made of blood.

"But you shouldn't make promises you can't keep…" Jadeite finished, smiling devilishly.

* * *

Usagi tapped anxiously at her communicator. For the past few hours, she had thought about calling Rei to apologize, but an aching feeling in her gut told her it was a bad idea. She wanted to make up with Rei, but something told her it wasn't the right time.

Then, out of impulse, she pressed the button on er communicator. "Rei? Are you there?" She squeezed her eyes shut, regretting the decision instantly. However, when no reply came, she felt an odd mix of relief and increased anxiety. "Rei, can you hear me? I wanna talk." She was unsure as to why she made a second attempt, but when no reply came once again, she dropped her arm and slumped back against her bed.

"I guess she's still mad at me…" Usagi chastised herself. She brought her knees up to her chest once again and buried her face into them, whimpering and sniffling as tears began to fall from her eyes once again.

* * *

Jadeite relentlessly swung his arms at Mars, both of his hands now bearing blood blades. He swung at her head, but she ducked just in time. He swung at her torso, but she nimbly backed away. He swung at her legs, but she jumped into the air and kicked him in the face, knocking him backwards. The blonde man hissed with anger and charged at Mars, stabbing at her with his left hand, but Rei sidestepped and the blood blade became buried and stuck in a concrete wall.

"FIRE-"

Before Mars could finish her attack, Jadeite yanked his arm backwards, not pulling the blades out of the wall, but pulling down the entire wall itself. The crumbling concrete quickly formed a cloud of dust in the room, getting into Mars' eyes and mouth, making her cough violently. She blinked rapidly, trying to flush the dust out of her eyes, and regained her vision just in time to see Jadeite running towards her again.

"-SOUL!"

She threw the fireball directly at the incoming shadow, but Jadeite knocked it away using one of his blood blades, then swung the other one at Mars' head. She backed up, but still revived a deep cut on her cheek. Before she could counterattack, Jadeite drove his foot into the girl's stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs and sending her flying across the room and into a steel support pillar.

"Is this the best you can offer me, Sailor Mars?" the Knight of Blood taunted. "Where are your fellow Soldiers? I thought the four of you were a team or something!"

"Don't underestimate me!" Sailor Mars shot back. "I don't need my friends to beat a snake like you!"

Jadeite snickered and charged at Mars again, intending to stab her right in the throat. However as he lashed out with his right blade, he found himself unable to advance any further. Mars had caught the blade in between her two palms, holding onto the flat part of the weapon to avoid cutting herself.

"FIRE SOUL!"

A furious blaze ignited in Mars' hands and spread onto the blade and subsequently Jadeite's body. Before the Dark Knight knew it, he was engulfed in searing flames. Mars took this opportunity to attack, driving a knife-hand into pressure points on his neck, ribs, and diaphragm, followed by a sweeping kick to the legs that knocked him off his feet. Seeing the stunned and burning man lying before him, the Soldier of Passion felt it a good time to finish him off.

"One more!" she shouted.

"FIRE SOUL!"

She formed a fireball between both of her hands, making it even larger than normal, and threw it down at the helpless man. The fireball slammed into his chest, and the impact caused the floor beneath them to crack and give way, causing Jadeite to fall through the fourth floor and down to the third. The Dark Knight let out a screeching cry of agony as he crashed into the third floor, becoming buried in a pile of rubble and extinguishing the flames that clung to his body. Finally, his pained screams ceased.

Sailor Mars took a deep breath, relieved that the fight was over. She reached up to her face and touched the gash that Jadeite had inflicted, wincing at how much the wound stung. "Guess I can consider this a gift from him…" she sneered. "Good riddance, you bastard!"

The raven-haired soldier turned and walked towards the window, intending to jump out and make a quick return to her dojo. She stopped abruptly when she heard what sounded like laughter coming from the bottom floor. She looked back towards the hole Jadeite had fallen through, narrowing her eyes and expecting the man to pop backup at any moment. It looked like this fight wasn't over just yet…

Out of nowhere, something shot up through the concrete floor in front of Mars. It looked like one of Jadeite's blood blades, but longer. The blade sank back through the floor, and another one popped up to Mars' right, then another on her left.

"Uh oh…" she said, knowing what was about to happen.

A final blood blade stabbed through the floor behind Mars, carving a perfect square around the Soldier of Fire. The concrete square collapsed underneath the girl's weight, delivering her to the third floor in a painful drop. Mars landed hard on her rear, sending a jolt up her back which she swore was her spine compressing. She had no time to dwell on the pain, however, as she heard the same evil laughter behind her. She struggled to her feet and turned around, gritting her teeth as she felt new pain in her legs. Jadeite stood before her with a smile on his face, chuckling as if he were amused by the girl's angry glare.

"Perhaps it is you who shouldn't underestimate me, my dear…" he growled with delight, revealing two new blood blades around his hands, these ones nearly the length of his entire body.

Not wasting a second, Rei formed a pair of fireballs in either of her hands and hurled them at Jadeite, but he easily smacked them away with his blood blades. The blonde man then lunged at Mars and began swinging his blades up and down, left and right, trying to cut the young soldier to pieces. Thanks to lightning fast reflexes, she was able to dodge each and every attack with relative ease. At one point, Jadeite took a hefty swing at Mars, but the amount of force he put behind the attack threw him off balance, and Mars was able to spin around and kick him in the side of the head.

"This is a losing strategy, Jadeite!" Mars chastised. "My battle instincts are at their peak thanks to my martial arts training!"

Jadeite glared at Mars, trying to contain his anger, but then noticed a small smirk on the girl's face. She was getting cocky. "We'll see about that…" the Dark Knight hissed.

He retracted the blood blades and cupped his palm above his head, a crimson tendril seeping out from his wrist and forming a spiral pattern. The spiral began to spin faster and faster, eventually forming a small whirlpool of blood. With a snap of his fingers, the spiral came to a screeching halt, revealing the new shape it had taken: a six-point shuriken.

"FLYING BLOOD STAR!"

Jadeite threw the shuriken-like attack at Sailor Mars, aiming for the soldier's head. Mars simply scoffed at the man's futile attack and arched her back in a bridge-bend, the shuriken flying over her body. The young martial artist stood up straight once again and grinned at Jadeite.

"If that's your idea of and attack, then you're-"

She was cut off by a sudden, searing pain, like a red-hot knife had been jabbed into her shoulder. She saw the blood shuriken fly past her once again, and looking down at her shoulder, she realized that the attack had come back like a boomerang and hit her from behind. She tried to raise her arm and use another Fire Soul, but was unable to. Another horrifying realization set in as she knew the attack had severed the tendon in her shoulder, effectively paralyzing the limb.

Jadeite cackled maniacally and sent the shuriken back at Sailor Mars, this time cutting into her kneecap and rendering that limb useless as well. The Soldier of Passion dropped to one knee, trying to cover the new wound with her good arm and prevent too much blood from escaping. Then, another new pain exploded from her side as the shuriken came back again, slicing into her rib cage and creating another blood-spurting gash. The agony Mars felt at this point was unbearable, and she finally let out all her inner turmoil in an ear-piercing scream, which Jadeite listened to with pleasure.

"H-How… how did you… do that?" Mars asked, having regained her composure, or as much of it as she could.

Jadeite shook his head. "You claim your instincts are at their peak, but once you start winning a fight, you get cocky and those instincts disappear." He approached the girl and brutally kicked her in the face, knocking her onto her back. "How pathetic! A true warrior never lets their guard down, no matter their chances in battle! You make me sick!" He cemented his point by kicking Mars in the ribs, thankfully missing her wound, but causing pain nonetheless.

"No…" Mars snarled, gritting her teeth as if biting an imaginary bullet. "We've… beaten the other knights… there's no reason I can't beat you too!"

Jadeite looked surprised by this declaration, but that expression was quickly replaced by an amused smile that extended into a hysterical laugh. "Is that what you truly believe, Sailor Mars? Well then, allow me to let you in on a secret…" He knelt down next to the girl and whispered. "I'm not like the others you've fought. In fact, I'm the strongest of the Four Knights of the Dark Kingdom!"

Sailor Mars' eyes went wide. She suddenly felt a clashing combination of fear and disbelief. "No… you're lying! You can't be stronger than the others! You're not even the leader… Kunzite is the leader, so he should have been the strongest!"

Jadeite laughed again, but this time it was more subdued. "My brother's position means nothing. He may be the leader, the oldest and the most experienced, but his power pales in comparison to mine," the blonde man sneered.

"No… impossible…" Rei stammered.

"So, you wish to continue denying it? Very well, I suppose I'll have to show you…" Jadeite began lowering the blood shuriken down to Mars' good shoulder. The weapon started spinning like a saw blade as it approached the girl's limb.

Rei clutched her injured shoulder, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. However, as she saw Jadeite about to bring the shuriken down on her functioning arm, a wave of panic washed over her. On a sudden whim, she activated the communicator on her wrist. "Usagi-"

Jadeite brought the now sawblade-like shuriken down onto Mars' shoulder, easily cutting into her skin, ripping through the muscle, severing her tendons, and finally slicing into the bone. The soldier's subsequent scream of agony was likely heard throughout the entire city of Tokyo.

* * *

Usagi sat on her bed, anxiously tapping at her communicator. "Darn… I thought I would've at least gotten a response by now," she sighed. The blonde had been waiting hours to hear back from her friend, but no such reply ever came. She had passed the time by reading manga, brushing her hair, and doing homework (for all but two minutes…). Finally, she decided the time had come to give contact with her friend another shot. "Please answer me, Rei!" She brought the communicator up to her lips…

"Usagi-"

The girl heard her own name come through the communicator just as she was about to speak. It wa Rei's voice! For a split second, Usagi felt and explosion of joy in her body thinking that Rei had decided to respond to her after all. However, when her name was followed by the most horrifying scream she had ever heard, her heart all but stopped.

"Rei? Rei, what's wrong? What's happening?!" she asked frantically. However, the communication had been cut off. "REI!" Usagi cried. Again, no response came through.

Usag was thrown into a panic. A million thoughts raced through her mind as to what could be happening to her friend. Was she in trouble? Was she fighting a monster? Had she been ambushed?

"Usagi, what's the matter?" Luna asked, hearing the scream through the communicator and seeing the distressed look on Usagi's face.

"That was Rei, Luna! I think she's in trouble!" Usagi said, not pausing for a breath.

"Well hurry up and transform! Call the girls and tell them to meet you at Rei's location!" Luna said frantically..

Usagi froze. "But… but I don't know where she is!"

"Your communicators have a built-in tracking system. Press the second button on the left!" the black cat instructed.

Usagi did just that, and immediately a small holographic map appeared above the communicator, showing a white dot at the center that was obviously her. A ways across the map was a flashing red dot, which, judging by the color, Usagi knew was Rei. She turned off the map for a second and pressed the first button. "Ami! Mako! Rei's in trouble! I think she's fighting a monster on her own! We have to go help her NOW!"

"I be right there!" Ami responded immediately.

"Rodger dodger!" Makoto came in.

Usagi turned off the communicator and took out her Transformation Brooch, holding it up to the sky.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

* * *

Sailor Mars lay on her back, her breathing labored, her vision blurred, and her body feeling weak. The ground around her was warm and wet, but she knew that was due to her own blood. Jadeite had successfully disabled her other arm, cutting nearly halfway through it. He probably left the limb attached just to mock her.

Jadeite was still crouched next to her. "Well, it appears you're no longer able to fight me. Too bad, I had heard such gripping tales about he Sailor Soldiers, but you turned out to be nothing more than a sad little weakli-"

The man was cut off by Mars planting her left foot, the only limb that still functioned, into Jadeite's face. The Knight of Blood stumbled back and clutched his face, feeling blood dripping out of his nose. Mars quickly used every last bit of strength she had to stand up, which proved to be incredibly difficult without the use of her arms. She stood awkwardly on one leg, wobbling back and forth as she struggled to maintain her balance.

Jadeite removed his hand from his nose and looked down at it, seeing the blood on his fingertips. Without a word, he lunged at Sailor Mars, screaming like a wild animal. The Soldier of Fire quickly turned on her left heel and swung her disabled right leg up into the air, smashing it into the side of Jadeite's head. The Knight of Blood was thrown off balance, and Mars took the chance to form two fireballs in her limp hands.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Using her body, she swung her arms in Jadeite's direction. Any form of aim was non-existent, but she didn't care as long as they distracted the man long enough. Thankfully, the two fireballs flew up to the ceiling and broke it, causing tons of concrete to fall down on top of Jadeite, pinning him to the floor. Sailor Mars quickly began making an attempt at escape. She hopped towards the nearest window, hoping she had enough strength to jump out and reach the roof that was directly across from the floor they were on. Her vision was beginning to fade, and she knew that even if she got away, the loss of blood may be too great at this point.

Seeing his opponent trying to run away, Jadeite pulled his arm free of the concrete and conjured up more blood tendrils.

"FLYING BLOOD STAR!"

He threw the weapon at Sailor Mars, connecting it with her left calf and cutting deep into the girl's last remaining limb. She fell to the ground with only a shocked gasp, and once more collapsed into a pool of blood.

Jadeite pushed the rubble off of his body and walked over to Sailor Mars, his rage greater than ever at this point. He used his foot to roll the helpless girl onto her back, and was taken aback by what he saw. Sailor Mars was crying.

"You think a few tears will make me show you any mercy?" Jadeite snapped. He raised a foot and stomped down on the soldier's rib gash. She let out a brief cry of pain, but it wasn't a prolonged scream like before. This was more like a whimper. However, Jadeite was nowhere close to letting up. "Arrogant!" *KICK* "Worthless!" *STOMP* "Pathetic!" *KICK* "Little bitch!" *STOMP*

Jadeite continued to press his foot into Mars' wounds while spouting insults at her, but her screams had ceased at this point. She was reduced to sort gasps for air, combined with her sobbing and crying. She no longer felt any physical pain, only numbness and sorrow. She wasn't crying because her injuries hurt; she was crying because she knew this was the end, and there was still so much she wanted to say to someone she had hurt…

"Alright, you're starting to bore me. If I'm going to keep this up, you can at least entertain me with more screams instead of these stupid tears!" Jadeite mocked, but Mars said nothing in response. "Very well. Then I believe it's time to end your misery…"

Jadeite formed a short blood blade around his hand and reared back his arm, preparing to finish the job once and for all. Mars remained silent. She no longer had the strength to form words. Her vision was blackening, her breathing was becoming short, and her body was going numb. This really was the end for her.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Jadeite was caught off guard by a thick, chilling mist that surrounded him in a matter of seconds, obscuring his vision of Sailor Mars.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

He was taken even more off guard by what felt like an enormous electric shock running through his body. The Knight of Blood cried out in pain as his insides were electrocuted by the sudden lightning attack.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Jadeite finally recognized where the voices were coming from, and turned around to face them. He was just in time too, as he caught sight of a glowing golden disk flying through the mist directly at his head. The blonde man leapt back and out of the mist, regaining his vision and catching sight of three girls in sailor uniforms standing by the entrance to the third floor.

"Three against one now, is it?" Jadeite hissed. "That's hardly fair…"

"Who the hell are you?" Jupiter demanded, stabbing an accusing finger at Jadeite.

"Where's Sailor Mars?" Sailor Moon shouted, the anger in her voice apparent to all.

Jadeite giggled. "You Sailor Soldiers and your questions… well, I am Jadeite, the fourth and youngest of the Four Dark Knights. As for Sailor Mars… see for yourself," he said menacingly. "Until then, I must be taking my leave. This is no fun when I'm being ganged up on!" Jadeite opened up a dimensional door behind him and stepped through it, laughing all the way. In mere seconds, he was gone without a trace.

"What an odd individual…" Mercury said, sounding annoyed.

"Oh no!" Sailor Moon said suddenly. She was looking over at Mercury's mist, which was beginning to disperse. The vanishing of the mist revealed a horrible sight to the girls: Sailor Mars lying in a deep pool of blood, her body covered in wounds, and her eyes closed. "Oh God, Rei! REI!" Moon screamed as she ran over to her fallen friend.

* * *

Jadeite stepped through the dimensional door, leaving behind the Sailor Soldiers to grieve their dead comrade. He brushed the dust and rubble off his shoulders, cracked a few joints, and stretched a few muscles that had gotten pulled. All in all, the battle had left him shaken up, but not terribly injured.

"Jadeite!" a voice roared from down the hall. The Knight of Blood looked around and saw Nephrite stomping towards him with Zoisite following close behind. Before Jadeite could run away, Nephrite had him by the throat and pinned him to the wall. "Would you mind telling me what you said to my dear Zoisite earlier today?"

"I told you what he said!" Zoisite cried. "Just do something about it already!"

"Patience, love. I want to hear it from him…" the Knight of Black Roses said as he glared at Jadeite.

The shorter man coughed, trying to catch his breath. "Well… first, I told Zoisite he had a crooked nose, then I called you a fool for loving him, and finally I mocked him regarding your… intimate moments…"

Nephrite's face creased as he put on an ugly display of rage. "You've got guts for saying all that to my face. Unfortunately, I take offense to every last word that just came out of your mouth." He flicked his wrist and produced a rose into his hand. "And you know what I do to people who offend me and my dear Zoisite…" He held the sharp tip of the rose to Jadeite's neck, preparing to slit the man's throat. "To bad your big brother isn't here to stop me this time!"

Jadeite chuckled. "I'd be careful where you point that rose, Nephrite… especially if you're pointing it at the man who just killed a Sailor Soldier…"

Nephrite and Zoisite went dead still upon hearing this. They took a moment to process Jadeite's words, then looked at the dead-serious expression on his face. The two began to chuckle lightly. This quickly grew into laughter, and eventually it escalated into the two full-on cracking up. Zoisite was laughing so hard that he doubled over and rolled around on the floor. Nephrite, meanwhile, dropped his grip on Jadeite and backed away, clutching his stomach which was cramping up from his laughter.

"That… it the funniest thing I've heard in a long time…" Nephrite sighed, his laughter coming to a stop.

"Darling, as much as I hate to say it, I think the bastard deserves to be spared for amusing us so much," Zoisite giggled.

Nephrite thought for a moment, running a hand through his reddish-brown locks, before turning to Jadeite. "There is nothing I want more than to gut you with my bare hands right now…" he growled. "However, I am never one to argue with my love. If Zoisite says you can live, I'll allow it. But be warned, if I ever hear you say anything about us ever again…" Without finishing his sentence, Nephrite threw the rose he held in Jadeite's direction, causing it's sharp tip to become embedded in the wall just inches from the blonde man's face. With that, the Knight of Black Roses locked arms with Zoisite and walked back off into the dark halls.

"Imbeciles…" Jadeite whispered to himself. He slowly slithered away into the pitch black halls, his eyes and teeth glimmering in the darkness.

* * *

Usagi held onto Rei's hand, squeezing it as tightly as her hands would allow. Tears streamed out of her eyes like rivers as she gazed down at her friend's battered and bloodied body. "You're okay, Rei. You're gonna be okay…" she whimpered.

Ami knelt on the other side of Rei, using her visor to scan the girl's body for injuries. All four of her limbs had severed tendons or bones, her side had a gash so deep that it cut partially into her lung, several of her ribs were broken, and she had suffered numerous head traumas. Ami began to tear up as she deactivated her visor and looked sorrowfully at Usagi. "It's to late, Usagi. We've lost her…"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Usagi screamed.

"She's lost too much blood! I'm sorry, but… there's nothing we can do to save her now," Ami said, trying to hold back her tears. "She… she's dead…"

Usagi shook her head. "No! No she's not" she sobbed. She grabbed Rei's body and began violently shaking her. "Wake up, Rei! You're not dead! YOU'RE NOT DEAD!"

Makoto was watching from a ways back. She wanted to go over and comfort Usagi, but something told her the girl didn't need that right now. Makoto clenched her fist and squeezed her eyes shut. Why wasn't she crying? Rei was her friend, wasn't she? Sure, the two of them argued ever since they first met, but now that the raven-haired girl was lying dead before her, an odd feeling of remorse and depression overcame the brunette. Still, there were no tears.

"Please wake up, ReiRei…" Usagi whimpered. Her voice was small and meek, yet desperate. "You can't die now! Not on your birthday!" She hugged Rei's head to her chest. "I need you to read that manga I got you! I need you to keep me in check when we fight! I just…" She paused, her voice beginning to fade. "I need you…"

A tear streaked down Usagi's cheek and fell onto Rei's face. The tear seemed to seep into the dead girl's skin, and immediately there was a brilliant white glow that started as a small dot, but quickly spread over the girl's entire body. Usagi, Ami, and Makoto were all shocked by the sudden burst of light, but were even more shocked to see that, when the light faded, all of Rei's injuries disappeared. Slowly, but surely, her eyes drifted open.

"What're you guys crying about?" she asked casually.

"REI!" Usagi cried, clutching Rei to her chest. "You're alive!"

"I don't believe it!" Ami sighed with relief.

"I wasn't crying…" Makoto whispered, wiping away a single tear.

Rei studied the girls' faces carefully. "Wait… did I die?"

"Yes-" Ami began.

"No!" Usagi quickly interrupted. "I mean… yes, but I brought you back to life!"

"Really?" Rei asked in disbelief. She looked down at her body, seeing all the blood and cuts gone. She was even more surprised when she felt that she could move her arms and legs again. "I-I guess you did…" the raven-haired girl said with a smile. She then replaced that smile with a scowl. "But you just had to wait until I died to fix me up, huh, Bun-Head?!" she said in mock anger.

"Rei, please. Not now," Usagi pleaded, blinking the last of her tears away.

"Right, sorry," Rei said. "So, it took me dying for us to finally get along. Shows how good of a friend I am…"

"No, Rei! I'm the one who's a bad friend!" Usagi cried. "I shouldn't have gone through your manga collection without asking!"

"You're not a bad friend! I shouldn't have called you stupid!" Rei tried to keep up with Usagi, now tearing up herself. "You know, you may be a pain in the butt sometimes, but you're also the nicest person I've ever met."

Usagi smiled. "And you may be a big meanie all the time, but you're also really cool and smart and cool and… wait, I already said cool, didn't I?"

Rei giggled a little, returning the blonde girl's smile. "I'm happy to call you my friend, Usagi."

"You're my best friend too, ReiRei!" Usagi beamed, pulling Rei into a tight hug. The young martial artist let out a grunt upon feeling her body squeezed.

"Hey, loosen up, Usagi!" Rei shouted, pushing her friend away. "Just because I'm alive now doesn't mean I'm not sore!"

"Oh! Sorry…" Usagi quickly apologized.

Rei crossed her arms. "Kami-sama, even when you're trying to be nice, you're still a big pain, Bun-Head!"

"Reiiii! Why are you so mean to me?!" Usagi cried.

Ami and Makoto watched the two from a distance. "So, did you time it again?" Makoto asked.

"Yep. One minute until Rei started up again," Ami informed.

"Huh, a new record. She's improving," Makoto said. "Maybe they are becoming best friends after all."

The two continued to watch as Usagi cried like a baby while Rei stood stoutly with her arms crossed. However, what the two could see that Usagi couldn't was a faint smile on Rei's face.

~A Suivre~


	14. The Crybaby Miracle

Here is chapter 14! Apologies for the big delay, but I promise the upload will come at regular time next week. The issue here wasn't even my schedule, I was just really bored writing this chapter. It's basically filler, which you all know I hate, but I felt that I needed a good segway between the last chapter and the next two, which will make up (no pun intended) a two-part "episode." I'm really looking forward to writing it, but for now... enjoy this one, I guess?

* * *

Chapter 14: The Crybaby Miracle

Usagi slugged her way into the Crown, dragging her backpack across the floor with half-lidded eyes. The others watched her stumble over to their table and drop into her seat like a rag doll.

"You're late," Rei chided.

Usagi nodded. "Yep."

"Detention?" Makoto asked.

"Uh-huh," Usagi said.

"Forgot your homework again?" Ami asked accusingly.

"Sorry…" the blonde muttered.

The nerdy girl sighed, clearly disappointed in her friend. "You and I need to have a serious talk at our next tutor session."

Luna hopped up on the table. "Alright, that's enough for now, girls. We need to get down to business." The black cat turned to the Soldier of Passion. "Rei, can you tell us everything you learned about this new enemy?"

"Well, learned is sort of subjective here. More like… beaten into me," she chuckled, as if trying to lighten the mood, but Luna gave her a serious look. "Sorry. Anyway, this Jadeite is apparently the fourth of the Dark Knights."

Makoto immediately facepalmed. "You're kidding me… are there any more of these knights that we don't know about?!"

Luna shook her head. "No. I distinctly remember there only being four. At least this means we won't be getting any more surprises. Of course, with the exception of whatever monsters they throw at us…"

"That's not all," Rei interjected. "While we were fighting, Jadeite told me that he was the strongest of all four knights."

"No way!" Makoto said. "You guys told me that… Kunzite guy was the leader! Shouldn't that make him the strongest?"

"Could Jadeite have been bluffing?" Ami asked.

Rei rubbed her temple. "It's possible… I was fighting him alone after all. But… the fact that he took everything I threw at him without a scratch doesn't exactly shift the odds in our favor."

"Hmph! I bet if I were fighting him, he wouldn't have lasted two seconds!" Makoto huffed, flexing her arm.

"Would you stop with the macho crap?! I almost died back there! I hate to break it to you, but I don't think your almighty badassness would have been any better off than I was!" Rei shouted at the brunette.

Everyone went silent at the raven-haired girl's sudden outburst. Usagi quickly placed a calming hand on Rei's arm. "But… I healed you. You're okay now, right, ReiRei?"

Rei blushed a little when Usagi touched her, but shook it off. "Yeah, I am. It's just… it was so scary. I always worry about you getting hurt, but to have it happen to me was… too real…"

Usagi smiled. "Awww, you do care about me…"

"What?! I… I didn't mean… shut up, Bun-Head!" Rei stammered.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about next," Luna said. "Usagi, how exactly did you heal Rei's wounds?"

"I cried on her," Usagi said bluntly.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "And…?"

"That's it," the blonde said with a shrug. "I cried, one of my tears fell on her, there was a bright glow, and poof! She's back to grumpy old ReiRei!"

"Hey!" Rei snapped.

"So what you're saying is that you have healing tears now?" Luna asked rhetorically. "How odd…"

"Don't you remember anything like that from the Moon Kingdom, Luna?" Ami asked.

Luna scratched her ear, trying to recall her memories. "I do remember you all having other abilities besides to ones you use now, but nothing about healing tears."

Makoto jumped up excitedly. "Wait, we have more powers?"

Luna backed up a little. "Uh… yes, of course. What soldiers would you be if you used the same attacks over and over again? You'd become dangerously predictable."

"Oh man, this is awesome!" Makoto said, bouncing a little. "Sooo, what kind of powers do I have?"

"I can't recall any specifics, but they would obviously be based around your individual elements. Makoto, your current attack is Supreme Thunder, so you use lightning." The black cat turned to Rei and Ami. "I'm sure you two can guess your elements given your attack names."

"Ooh, ooh! What's my element Luna?" Usagi chirped.

"Just as the Moon reflects the Sun's light, you possess the power of light," Luna informed. "Your element is best suited to chase away the shadows cast upon us by the Dark Kingdom."

The bun-headed girl grinned from ear to ear. "Wow! You make it sound so cool!"

"Yeah, yeah, enough about her!" Makoto interrupted. "How exactly do I get these other abilities that you're talking about?"

"I can't exactly say for sure. However, your powers were all unlocked when you were under attack from a monster. I suppose your memories of your abilities will just come back to you in the heat of a fight," Luna said.

Makoto looked disappointed. "So… what? I'm just supposed to keep fighting and hope that some voice in the back of my head will randomly tell me how to use these new powers?"

Luna nodded. "Yep, that about sums it up." This generated another facepalm from Makoto.

"Hey Usagi!" The others looked up and saw Motoki approaching with a big plate in his hand and a fork and knife in the other. "Here's that funnel cake you asked for! Lucky you, it was the last one I had in the stockroom."

Usagi drooled as the massive treat was set down in front of her. "Thank you Motoki! It's so great to have you back!"

Motoki laughed. "Yeah, I still got a few cricks here and there, but I'll be back to normal in no time! Go easy on that cake!"

"I will!" Usagi called as he walked away. She began cutting into the dessert when she saw the disapproving look on Rei's face.

"You ordered an entire funnel cake? Are you trying to get diabetes or something?" the young martial artists chastised.

"Geez Rei, you don't have to worry about me that much!" Usagi said, still cutting the cake but not watching her fingers. "I'm not going to get diabeezees or whatever from one cake!"

"I'm not worried!" Rei retorted. "I just don't want to see you get fat or anything."

"Reiiii! What are you so- OW!" Usagi suddenly let out a sharp cry and grasped her forefinger in one hand. "Owowow…"

Ami quickly scooted over to see what was wrong. "Usagi! What happened?"

Usagi looked at the blue-haired girl with watery eyes. "I… I c-cut my f-finger…" She showed her friend the tip of her forefinger, revealing a small cut with a tiny amount of blood seeping from it.

Ami sighed. "C'mon Usagi, it's just a little-"

"Wait!" Makoto interrupted. "She's about to cry! Let her use her healing tears again!"

"Good idea, Makoto," Luna said. "Quickly Usagi! If you're going to cry, do it on your cut!"

Usagi held onto her finger and hunched over it, trying to line her eye up with the cut. Rei, Ami, and Makoto all gathered behind her, watching carefully to see if the clumsy girl could get it right.

"I guess being a huge baby will finally prove useful. Eh, Bun-Head?" Rei teased.

"Zip it, Rei! I only have one tear left in my eye…" Usagi said, never taking her eyes off her finger.

"Don't worry! You've got this, girl!" Makoto encouraged, capping it off with a slap to Usagi's back. Unfortunately, the hit caused Usagi to lurch forward, as well as her tear to fall. The tiny droplet narrowly missed Usagi's finger, but it splashed against the table below nonetheless.

"Makooo!" Usagi whined. "What the heck was that for?"

"It's no big deal, blondie. Just cry some more and I won't touch you this time," the brunette assured.

Usagi took a deep breath. "Alright, here we go!" She refocused on her finger and began flexing the muscles around her eyes, trying to squeeze out more tears. However, to the other girls, she just ended up making ridiculous faces that made her look like she was trying to give birth.

"She'll be at this for awhile, won't she?" Ami asked.

"I'm betting she'll do this all night," Rei scoffed.

"Give her some credit, girls," Luna said. "I seriously doubt she'll be doing this _all night_ …"

* * *

The sun had gone down, the Moon had come out, and the stars were now shining. Even though every other living thing in the area was asleep by now, one blonde bun-headed girl in pink bunny pajamas was wide awake at midnight, hunched over the tiny cut on her forefinger and still desperately trying to cry one of her magic healing tears onto it.

Luna watched her from the edge of her bed. "I stand corrected… as usual…" she sighed before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Kunzite marched into his monsters' barracks, his heavy boots echoing against the marble floor. All of his demonic and deformed troops stood at attention, waiting for their Master's orders.

"Would anyone like to volunteer today?" the Dark Knight asked simply. "Are there any here who have an ideal strategy for acquiring energy for our Great Ruler, Queen Metalia?"

Immediately, but not so quickly, a lanky, bony monster with a snail body instead of legs slithered forward. His skin was a bright jade green, and he had white eyes that lacked pupils. A second set of eyes sat atop a pair of antennae on his head. His arms were long and ended in three-fingered hands with long claws. The snail shell on his back was big and looked heavy, which was likely part of the reason he moved so slowly, aside from being… a snail monster.

"I… will… volunteer… Master… Kunzite…" the monster said, incredibly slowly.

"Ah, uh… Gastro. You would like to go out and gather energy?" Kunzite asked, clearly sounding unsure.

"I… would… be… honored…" Gastro replied, with the same speed as before.

Kunzite sighed. "Very well. As long as you can promise me that you will not take an entire century to accomplish your task this time."

Gastro nodded. "Fear… not… I… have… a… new… ability… that… will… make… me… much… faster… and… efficient…" He began making his way out of the barracks, but in the span of one minute, he barely made it halfway there.

Kunzite rubbed his head in frustration. "Don't bother walking. I shall teleport you there." He opened up a dimensional door in front of Gastro.

"Thank… you… Master…" the snail monster said, making his way over to the magic doorway. Even then, it still took him a good two-and-a-half minutes to make it through the portal.

"Master Kunzite, was that really a wise choice?" another monster said once Gastro was gone.

"Do not talk down to your comrades in front of me! Gastro is just as valuable to me a the rest of you are! I have no doubt he will get the job done," Kunzite said confidently, before turning away and dropping his expression. "Eventually…"

* * *

The school bell rang, and students began heading to their classes. However, Usagi leaned against her locker and kept focused on her finger, still trying to cry on it, despite the wound having already scabbed over.

"C'mon Usagi, we have to get to class!" Ami insisted.

"No… wait… I almost… got it…" Usagi stammered, still making her chicken-laying-an-egg face.

"You're still at this, huh?" her nerdy friend asked. "If you want to cry, why not just think of something sad?"

Usagi quickly searched her mind for anything and everything that made her sad; romantic-drama movies, homeless puppies, stuffed animals that got thrown out… however, even after all these thoughts, no tears came out.

"Thanks, Ami. Now I just feel depressed," Usagi pouted.

"Eheh… sorry," Ami said with a nervous laugh.

"CLUB SIGN UP!" a loud voice came from down the hall. Usagi and Ami saw a student standing in front of a large bulletin board with a loudspeaker. "REMEMBER EVERYONE, TODAY IS CLUB SIGN UP DAY! BE SURE TO VISIT THEM ALL AND PICK OUT YOUR FAVORITES!"

Usagi excitedly ran over to the bulletin board with Ami in tow. She gazed over the numerous Club Posters that were pinned to the board, some of which looked exciting, like Dancing and Video Games, while other just looked boring, like Art and Literature.

"Ooooh… it's so hard to choose!" Usagi whined. "Which one are you gonna sign up for, Ami?"

"I'm already in Swimming Club. I signed up last year," Ami smiled.

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't that before knew your element was water?"

"Um… coincidence?" the blue-haired girl, shrugging.

The blonde girl turned back to the club posters, considering each one carefully before one in particular caught her eye. "Hey! Maybe I could run for Class President!"

"As if!" Usagi turned around to see Naru, standing next to Mamoru, glaring at her. "My Mamoru's already running for President, so don't you even think about getting in his way!"

"It's… really not that big of a deal, Naru. She can run if she wants," Mamoru said calmly, trying to console his girlfriend.

"Ha! See Naru? He's already admitting defeat!" Usagi sneered.

"Nice try, Usagi, but you'll never be able to compete with this guy! He is a superhero after al-" Naru was cut off by Mamoru covering her mouth hand giving her a nervous look. Naru gave him a sad, apologetic glance, and he quickly released her.

Usagi just stared them. "I don't know what that was all about, but it's getting on my nerves! Now if you'll excuse me, I have clubs to sign up for!"

Naru stuck out her tongue at Usagi, and the blonde returned the childish gesture before the two went their separate ways.

"Sooo… clubs?" Ami asked, trying to get back on track.

"Oh yeah! Now, let's see…" She ran her eyes across the bulletin board once more, then pressed her finger against one of the posters. "That one!"

Ami looked confused. "Martial Arts Club?"

"Heck yeah!" Usagi beamed. "I bet I can learn all those kicks, chops, and punches in just a few days!"

"Don't you remember what Rei said? Martial arts are all about self-defense, not beating people up!" Ami chastised. "Wait, this isn't about competing with her, is it?"

"What? No, of course not!" Usagi defended. "Well… maybe, now that you mention it… but I have a plan here! I'm going to find the toughest guy there, challenge him, and then get my butt kicked!"

Ami just gave her a blank stare. "What?"

"Yeah! Then I'll cry for sure and I can heal my cut!" Usagi beamed.

"So, let me get this straight… you're going to try out clubs all day just to make yourself cry?" the blue-haired girl asked, sounding both concerned and disappointed.

Usagi flashed a V-sign over her eyes. "You got it!"

* * *

It was a hot afternoon at Nagai Stadium in Osaka. Thousands of people had gathered to watch some of Japan's fastest track and field runners compete in the hundred-meter dash. The runners were stretching and warming up at the starting line, preparing for the action to start in mere moments.

Off in a dark corner of the stadium, four glowing red eyes watched the runners carefully, waiting for them to begin. Gastro the snail monster knew full well how slow he was without any human energy, but once he stole a good enough amount of it, he became and entirely different monster…

The crowd watched anxiously as the runners got down into position, preparing to spring off the starting blocks. They all glanced at each other one last time, letting one another know that the game was on, then focused back on the track as the referee raised the starting pistol to the sky.

BANG!

Once the blank shot had been fired, all eight runners pushed off the ground with all of their might and took off down the racing track. The crowd immediately went wild, cheering for their favorite athlete to make it to the finish line first.

Gastro just laughed. "Such sweet speed is wasted on these human scum…" He aimed a clawed hand at the runners and concentrated on their energy within.

The runners' bodies began to glow, but it was unnoticeable to the audience with how fast they were going. One by one, they began to slow down, going from an unbridled mad dash to a sluggish jog and eventually to a stumbling walk, before finally dropping to the ground face-first. The crowd's excitement quickly turned into confusion and panic as medics rushed out to the fallen runners to see what had happened.

Back in the shadows, Gastro guided the flowing energy through the air and into the shell on his back. The spiral pattern on his shell glowed a bright green, and Gastro felt a rush of adrenaline flow through him. Grinning to himself, he took off into the city with an unmeasurable speed, moving so fast that not a single bystander noticed him, except for the faint breeze he left in his wake.

* * *

Usagi stood stoutly on a foam mat in the middle of the school's gymnasium, wearing a white karate uniform with a white belt. She was doing her best to keep a confident face, despite the fact that parallel to her was a tall and extremely buff guy who already wore a black belt.

"Um… Mr. Takamoto?" Ami asked the club's moderator. "Is a fight like this really fair? I-Is it even allowed?"

"Miss Tsukino specifically requested that I pair her with a black belt for the tryouts," the man replied. "And… she wouldn't take no for an answer…"

The tall black belt assumed a fighting and glared at Usagi. The tiny blonde girl clumsily tried to mimic the pose, but ended up looking like she stepped out of a bad martial arts movie.

"Fighters ready!" Mr. Takamoto said, raising his arm. "Fight!"

Ami covered her eyes as Usagi charged at the muscular boy in front of her. She flailed her arms around like an angry cat, and screaming like one too.

"HYAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Minutes later, Usagi was sitting on one of the benches, with Mr. Takamoto holding a bag of ice to a black eye she now had. Her black belt opponent looked down at the two, scratching his neck anxiously.

Ami stormed up to the tall boy and got in his face. "Shame on you! You're twice her size! You had no right to hit her that hard!"

"She… kinda asked for it," the black belt stuttered. Ami decided to respond to this by smacking the boy across the face. It didn't hurt much, given Ami's size, but it was more of a blow to the boy's ego than his body.

Mr. Takamoto got between the two. "That's enough, Miss Mizuno. I believe your friend should be taken to the nurse to have her eye looked at."

Ami nodded and walked over to Usagi, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. The normally shy girl shot the black belt boy one last angry glare before heading out of the gym with Usagi.

"Man, I've never seen you get like that before, Ami," Usagi said, still holding the ice bag to her eye.

"Hmph! Serves him right for hitting a girl!" she scoffed. "By the way, did you get those tears to work?"

Usagi's face sunk. "No! I think my eye might have swollen up and blocked the tears."

Ami shook her head. "I don't think that's how that works…"

"Well, whatever! I'm gonna check out more clubs and keep working until I get some tears flowing!" Usagi said confidently, followed by a nervous look. "But… I prefer ones that aren't as scary as martial arts…"

Ami grinned. "You think that was scary? You haven't been on the high dive in my swimming club. Even I don't go on that thing!" She paused when she saw the mischievous look in Usagi's eyes. "Oh no, don't tell me you're going to-"

* * *

"Yoo-hoo! Check me out, Amiiii!" Usagi cheered from the top of the twenty-foot tall diving board. She had donned one of the swimsuits and was now getting ready to jump into the school's swimming pool.

Ami watched from below, waiting anxiously for what she was sure was a disaster waiting to happen.

"The hell is she doing up there?" Makoto asked, walking up from behind Ami.

"Oh, hey Makoto! Usagi's just… doing something really unintelligent," she giggled.

"What else is new?" Makoto said with a laugh. "Well, I gotta say, I never thought she'd do the high dive, especially after you told me how scary it was."

Ami blushed. "That's the thing. She's trying to cry so she can use her healing tears again, and she thinks diving off of there will scare her enough to cry."

Makoto smiled. "Oh boy… this is gonna be good…"

Meanwhile, Usagi crouched on the edge of the diving board, looking over the edge. It hadn't looked that high initially, but now that she was actually up there, the pool seemed like it was miles away. Despite the immense fear running through her body, she stood up and got ready.

"You can do this! For the power of healing tears!" The blonde girl began jumping up and down on the edge of the diving board. "One… two… THREE!"

Usagi gracefully flew down towards the water's surface, her arms and legs spread wide. Just as the water was centimeters from her face, she heard a loud SMACK! And then everything went black.

The blonde woke up with her lungs feeling like they weighed a ton. She quickly sat up and began coughing, spitting out a seemingly endless amount of water that shot up from her lungs. Makoto patted her back, while Ami held onto her hand.

"Well, that certainly was something," Ami said, giggling a little. "Now you see why I never do the high dive."

"What… what happened?" Usagi asked, coughing up more water.

"As soon as you hit the water, you lost consciousness and sunk to the bottom of the pool," Ami informed, not taking note of the blonde's wide-eyed expression. "Thankfully, Makoto here was happy to dive in and save you before you drowned."

Usagi looked over and saw Makoto sitting next to her in a thoroughly soaked school uniform. "You're welcome. I mean, don't get me wrong. It was hilarious for about five seconds, and then really, really scary for about a minute," the brunette chuckled. "Anyway, ya feel like crying yet?"

Usagi blinked, ask if still trying to recover her vision. "Ah… honestly, I think being underwater must have washed away all the tears." She looked down at her body, which was still bright red and stinging from her little belly flop. "Speaking of which… OOOOWWWW!"

Makoto suddenly got an idea. "Hey, Usagi… what do you say you some check out my Cooking Club?"

"Cooking Club?" Usagi and Ami said in sync.

"Yeah, think about it! All you gotta do is make something spicy and you'll be shedding tears in no time!" the brunette encouraged.

Usagi jumped to her feet, ignoring the stinging pain that still covered her body. "That's a great idea, Mako! Let's go!" She took off to the locker room to change.

Ami looked at Makoto disapprovingly. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Makoto gave the blue-haired girl a mischievous grin. "C'mon, Big Blue! It'll be hilarious!"

Ami tightened her lips, trying not to shout at Makoto for calling her that demeaning nickname again.

* * *

Usagi stood over a large double boiler on a stove. She had a pink apron tied to her body and was whisking something with a spatula. Makoto stood next to her, also garbed in an apron (and a rather frilly one at that, much to Ami's delight).

"What're you smiling at, Big Blue?" Makoto asked, having caught Ami's eye.

The shy girl turned bright red and looked down. "N-Nothing! Nothing at all! I just… I thought you looked really good in that apron…"

Makoto grinned. "Damn right I do! Who says a badass like me can't look pretty from time to time?" She was about to say something to Usagi, but when she saw what she was cooking, the brunette froze.

Usagi was throwing pretty much anything spicy she could find into the pot: hot sauce, hoisin sauce, jalapeño peppers, kimchi, and even tartar sauce. She mixed everything together with the spatula, left it on the stove flame for far too long, and finally yanked it off the burner.

"TA-DAAA! I call it Usagi's Spicy Surprise!" she announced.

Makoto squinted at the sizzling dish. "Is that even edible?"

"Of course it's edible! Edible and spicy to the core, just like you said, Mako!" Usagi beamed.

"Well… I don't want you to kill yourself or anything," Makoto muttered, sounding legitimately concerned.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic! As long as I can get it into my tummy, I'll be just fine!" With that, she grabbed a fork from the drawer and prepared to devour the fiery course.

"W-Wait! You should let it cool down first!" Makoto warned.

"Don't do something you'll regret, Usagi!" Ami joined in.

Ignoring the two, Usagi dug her fork into the stew and practically inhaled everything in the pot. She was like a piranha with how furiously she ate. Within minutes, the pot was empty, and Usagi stood there with a smile, her lips covered in sauce. One second… two seconds… three seconds…

BLEEEAAAUUGGGHHH!

Usagi now squatted over a toilet, barfing up practically everything she just ate. Makoto and Ami stood outside the stall, cringing at every stomach-churning noise the poor girl made. All they could do was wait for it to be over. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Usagi came out, holding onto her stomach and panting as if she just finished climbing a mountain.

"Sooo… how're ya feeling?" Makoto asked casually.

"My stomach feels like it's being ripped apart, my throat is sore, and my mouth is on fire… but still no tears! How does that even work?!" Usagi cried.

"Maybe you're just tougher than you think you are," Makoto said, patting Usagi on the head.

The blonde managed a weak smile. "T-Thanks… Mako."

"Are you finally going to give up?" Ami asked insistently. "What you're doing can't be good for your health."

Usagi gritted her teeth. "Not yet… there's still one more thing I need to try…"

"Oh, for crying out loud! Give it a rest, blondie!" Makoto scolded. "At this rate you really will kill yourself!"

"Trust me, this last thing will get me crying for sure," the bun-headed girl said. "It's something I do every day, but it never ceases to bring tears to my eyes…"

"Something you do every day?" Ami asked.

* * *

"Sprinting Club!" Usagi squealed, pumping her fist to the air.

The three girls were now outside, with Usagi dressed in a tank top and short shorts. Ami and Makoto watched from behind the fence that surrounded the track.

"I forgot she practically does a mad dash to school every day," Makoto said, leaning on her elbows against the fence.

"I guess that's why she's always crying when she runs into class in the morning," Ami agreed, resting her head on both of her hands.

Usagi joined the other members of the Sprinting Club on the race track, stretching her legs like a gymnast. "Now, all I gotta do is run this one mile, and it's hello healing tears!"

"What're you talking about?" a boy standing next to her asked.

Usagi held up her hands defensively. "Oh, nothing! I was just talking to myself! Hahahaha!"

"Psh, what a weirdo…" the boy sneered before going back to his warm-ups.

"Runners ready!" the coach announced from the sidelines. The rest of the runners got down on their hands and knees, while Usagi stumbled to mimic the same position. "GO!"

The runners lunged forward and began their race down the track, each determined to get the best time. However, what none of them were expecting was to see a petite blonde girl with twin buns and pigtails surpass all of them in a matter of seconds.

"Whoa, look at her go!" Makoto said.

Ami was transfixed. "I don't believe it…"

Usagi hadn't even been running for a minute, and she was already sweating like a pig under the blazing hot sun. Nonetheless, she was at the front of the group, running nearly ten feet ahead of the next runner behind her. The others were completely stunned, and at the same time angered, by the fact that this newcomer was beating them on her first race.

"Wow, this is amazing! I'm actually in the front! I guess being late to school at the time has done something for me!" Usagi said to herself. She then shook her head and switched up her mindset. "No, no time for excitement! I have to make myself cry!" She began pushing herself ever harder, running even faster than before.

Lurking behind a nearby set of bleachers was an all-to-familiar slimy monster with a snail shell. Gastro had been speeding on by, but stopped when he sensed another source of speed energy. He made his way to the school and was overjoyed to see a group of students in the middle of a race.

"Mmm… tasty, tasty speed," Gastro hissed. His attention became set on one particular runner: a small girl who was at the front of the group, and was quickly gaining distance from the other runners. "You could be an entire main course, my dear!"

Usagi felt the adrenaline flow through her body as she kept running forward. Still no tears, but at this point she had all but forgotten about that in favor of making it to the finish line. The thrill of the race had gotten to her head. However, as she approached the finish line, she felt her strength begin to fade and her body begin to slow down. Was the running finally catching up to her? Was she really tiring out that fast? She looked down at her body and noticed that it was glowing. Her mind immediately went a million different places, as she recognized this draining feeling from when she had her energy sucked out by an evil manga.

The rest of the runners suddenly ran past Usagi, laughing and mocking her as they went. "Where's your stamina, weirdo?" the boy from before laughed. Of course, they were all quickly silenced when their bodies began glowing and their energy began fading. They all dropped to the grounds gasping for breath.

"What's wrong, everyone?" the coach said as he ran over to check on his athletes. It was no time at all before his energy was being drained as well.

"Ami, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Makoto said, now on high alert.

"Yeah, but where is it?" she asked. Her eyes scanned all around the track, before they finally caught the ominous shape of a mangled monster body. "There!"

"Aight, let's transform and kick his ass before he gets away!" the brunette said, dashing under the bleachers with Ami close behind.

"JUPITER POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!

Now transformed, Makoto brought her communicator up to her mouth and contacted Rei. "Listen Bruce Lee, transform and get your ass over here now! We got a monster on the loose at our school!"

Gastro laughed maniacally as he slithered out onto the race track, absorbing the last of the runners' speed energy. He now felt as if he could run to the edge of the universe and back in less than a millisecond. "Our Great Ruler will be so pleased when I bring back all this energy! Perhaps she will finally grant me a permanent source of speed…"

POW!

Gastro was thrown off balance by a set of knuckles being smashed into his jaw. He stumbled back, wiping the greenish blood from his lips, and looked back to see a pair of girls in sailor uniforms, the taller of the two having her glove soaked in his blood.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for courage! I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

Gastro just chuckled. "Normally, I wouldn't waste my time on human scum like you, but you've damaged my face, and no inferior creature, especially not a human, gets away with harming me!"

Jupiter scoffed. "There's two of us and one of you! There's no way you could possibly-"

ZIP! BAM! POW! WHAM! CRACK!

Gastro put on a terrifying demonstration of his newfound speed by running circles around the two soldiers and hurling his fists at them, landing a number of blows in the span of five seconds. Jupiter and Mercury dropped to their knees, taken off guard by the instantaneous attack.

"And that was just a… how do the runners put it? A warm-up!" Gastro laughed.

"Dammit… he's fast!" Jupiter grunted. "I couldn't even see him!"

"This should slow him down!" Mercury said, forming a pair of water spirals in her hands.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The Soldier of Wisdom unleashed her mist at the snail monster, enveloping him in a freezing cold cloud of vapor. Jupiter got ready to use one of her own attacks, but the two were stunned by what happened next. The mist began to swirl around and around. They saw that Gastro was running in a big circle, turning Mercury's cloud of mist into a tornado. The monster suddenly sped past Mercury and Jupiter, and the breeze he left behind guided the mist tornado towards the two. Thankfully, they managed to jump out of the way and the mist tornado dispersed.

"You may be fast, but I doubt you're faster than electricity!" Jupiter shouted.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

The lightning bolts streaked forward, nearly connected with Gastro. Unfortunately, the monster disappeared into another burst of speed, and the lightning struck the ground, leaving a black spot.

"Crap! He's faster than electricity!" Jupiter cried angrily, before she was struck by Gastro once again. The tall girl flew across the pavement and landed hard, and Mercury ran to her side.

"Jupiter! Are you okay?" Mercury asked.

Jupiter stood up and brushed off her shoulder. "I've had worse and you know it!" She looked back toward the slimy snail beast. "Now, how do we slow this guy down?"

"The way I see it, we can't," the blue-haired soldier said with dismay. She then tapped her earring and materialized her visor. "However, maybe we can find a way to keep up with him…"

Gastro cracked his neck. "Brace yourselves… here I come again!" He took off into another burst of speed too quick for the naked eye.

Mercury's visor did its best to track Gastro's movement. The girl was overwhelmed by how fast the arrow on the screen was moving. One second he was to their right, the next second he was to their left. Then all of a sudden, he was in front of them.

"Dodge!" Mercury shouted. She and Jupiter leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding Gastro's sharp claws as he zoomed past them.

Mercury landed nimbly on her feet, but as soon as she did, another arrow appeared on her visor, indicating Gastro was behind her. She stepped to the side, feeling a gust of wind as the monster's claws nearly cut into her face. She looked over to Jupiter, seeing that Gastro was heading for her next.

"Jupiter! Jump!" the Soldier of Water cried out. Thankfully, Jupiter heard it, and she jumped as high as she possibly could. She could see a brief flash of green as the snail monster dashed below her.

"Filthy humans!" Gastro screeched. "Fine! If you won't stand still, I'll make you!" He cupped his clawed hand, and in it formed a disgusting ball of slime. He hurled the ball at Sailor Mercury's feet, the slime enveloping her legs and gluing her to the ground.

Mercury was shocked by the sudden new attack and tried to pull herself free from the nasty substance, but it was no use. It was like being stuck in quicksand.

"Hang on, Big Blue!" Jupiter shouted, running over to her trapped friend. She grabbed hold of her legs and tried to pull them out of the sludge. Sadly, it seemed even the brunette's strength was no match for the sticky slime. Of course, unbeknownst to her, Mercury was busy blushing up a storm from having Jupiter grab her legs so tightly.

"No you don't!" Gastro roared, throwing another slime ball at Jupiter. Soon enough, the Soldier of Thunder was stuck as well. "Now you're both mine!" With that, Gastro took off once again, running around the trapped Sailor Soldiers and striking them over and over again.

SMACK! POW! BLAM! THWACK!

After about a minute of a brutal beatdown, Gastro finally relented, and watched with a grin as the two soldiers collapsed to the ground, covered in bruises and scratches.

"And now to finish you off…" Gastro sneered, forming two more slime balls in either hand. "Let's see if you can breathe through my slime!" He reared back his arms, preparing to stick the slime balls over the soldiers' faces and suffocate them…

"FIRE SOUL!"

Gastro felt a searing pain in his side as a fireball smacked into him, burning his slippery skin and causing him to drop the slime balls. He grit his razor sharp teeth in pain and rage, narrowing his eyes at the new arrival.

"Anyone who tries to kill my friends will get burned!" Sailor Mars announced, forming another fireball in her hand.

"Ah… Sailor Mars. I've heard of you. Word has it you went toe-to-toe with Master Kunzite's little brother…" Gastro chuckled, causing Mars to snarl at the beast. "You may be a Sailor Soldier, but underneath all that fire you're still just a human!"

Gastro hurled another slime ball at Sailor Mars, sticking it to both of her hands, forming what could only be described as a pair of slime handcuffs. The snail monster took this opportunity to make a dash for the Soldier of Passion, long claws bared, preparing to gut her with one swoop. However, Mars managed to use her fire powers to melt the slime off her hands and form another fireball.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Unable to see Gastro, she threw the fireball at the ground in front of her, creating a wall of flames. She watched Gastro come to a sudden screeching halt just inches from the fire. Mars grinned and leapt right through the flames, planting her high-heeled foot into Gastro's face, knocking the monster backwards. However, upon landing the kick, she felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg and twinge her knee. She realized in horror that this must be left over from the brutal injuries she received in her battle with Jadeite.

Seeing that the Soldier of Fire was off balance, Gastro summoned another slime ball and threw it at her. In no time at all, the raven-haired girl was glued to the ground, unable to free herself.

"When will you humans learn that you are unworthy to touch a superior creature like me?!" Gastro roared. He charged Sailor Mars at full speed, immediately going to town and smashing his fists into her with a speed so great his arms appeared invisible.

Usagi slowly recovered from having her energy drained and struggled to her hands and knees. She had a splitting headache, and all her limbs felt like noodles, but she could tell right away that something else was wrong. As she looked around, her vision returning to normal, she noticed Mercury and Jupiter lying on the ground, barely conscious.

"Guys… what h-happened?" She then heard what sounded like agonized cries of pain, and her eyes locked onto Gastro laying a monstrous beatdown on Sailor Mars. "REI!" she cried. She began having flashbacks to the day before when she found Mars dead after her battle with Jadeite, and now here she was again, having her life stripped away in the most brutal way she'd ever seen.

"You monster! GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Gastro heard the sudden rage-filled scream and saw the blonde whose energy he'd stolen getting back on her feet. "But how? I took your energy! You shouldn't be able to move!"

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

Gastro covered his eyes to protect himself from the dangerously bright light that radiated off the girl's body. Once it faded, the snail monster was shocked to see that she had transformed into a Sailor Soldier.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"So you're a Sailor Soldier too… no wonder you were able to get back up!" Gastro snorted. He proceeded to toss Sailor Mars to the ground as if she were trash and faced Sailor Moon. "Regardless, you're just another worthless human! I'll kill you and then finish off your friends!"

"Like heck you will!" Moon screamed, furious with the way he treated Mars.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

Sailor Moon grasped the crown stud of her tiara and aimed the gems at Gastro, intending to incinerate him with the light of the Moon. Of course, when nothing happened, she came to the slow realization that the Moon wasn't out yet, and therefore she couldn't use this attack.

"Is she being serious?" Mercury asked.

"You think maybe that monster stealing her speed made her brain slower too?" Jupiter suggested.

"Can her brain even get any slower?" Mars added.

Moon felt the sting of every one of their comments. "Guys! I'm doing my best here!" She was going to say more, but froze, quite literally, when she felt something warm and wet stick to her feet. She looked down and saw that she was now also trapped by Gastro's slime.

"Looks like your best isn't good enough!" Gastro taunted. He got ready to speed over to her and finish the job, but paused when Sailor Moon took off her tiara.

"I'm not defenseless just yet!" she yelled confidently.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon threw her tiara with all the strength she had in her slender arms, and at first, it looked like she was right on the mark. That is, until she realized that the tiara was moving at about two miles per hour.

Gastro stood there and laughed his head off, watching the tiara approach him at, quite ironically, a snail's pace. "I guess my speed stealing ability has more effects that I realized!" he cackled. "I must admit, this is quite amusing, Sailor Moon. I'll tell you what: since you aren't going anywhere, I'll just stand here and wait for the tiara to get close. And when it's just inches from me, I'll step out of the way at my own leisurely pace!"

Sailor Moon tensed, knowing that Gastro was just mocking her at this point. She wished that she could just give the tiara a push and make it go faster, but she knew that wouldn't be happening. She had to think of something fast, because once Gastro got around her tiara, it would be all over for her and her friends.

"Ack!" Gastro grunted, feeling something grab him by the neck from behind.

Sailor Moon's eyes went wide with joy when she saw that Tuxedo Mask had appeared, and now had Gastro in a choke hold keeping him in line with the tiara.

"Tuxedo Mask!" the bun-headed girl cried.

"Don't worry, Sailor Moon! I'll hold him here until your tiara gets him!" Tuxedo Mask shouted.

"You… bastard!" Gastro snarled. "How do you expect to hold me and avoid that attack at the same time?!"

The man just chuckled. "I don't. I'm just gonna keep you here!"

All four of Gastro's eyes went wide. "You… you've lost your mind! Are all humans this stupid?!"

"Tuxedo Mask! You have to move now!" Moon screamed.

"Not happening! This is the best shot we have!" Tuxedo Mask shot back.

Gastro squirmed recklessly in the man's grasp, but ultimately was unable to get free. He suddenly realized how his prey must have felt when he trapped them in his slime leaving them unable to escape his wrath. The snail monster let out a final scream of panic as the tiara moved in and sliced into his neck, slowly and painfully decapitating him, but at the same time cutting nearly halfway through Tuxedo Mask's arm. The man cried out in pain and released Gastro, but by now the tiara had already done its work. Gastro's head and body fell to the ground and disintegrated into dust, allowing the energy he had stolen to escape and return to the bodies of the runners and the coach.

* * *

Sailor Moon knelt next to Tuxedo Mask, who was still clutching his bleeding arm. The cut from the tiara was so deep that the arm was practically only hanging on by a few sinews. The blonde soldier held his hand tightly and tried to help him stop the bleeding with her other. Both of their white gloves were now stained with blood.

"You don't have to keep doing this…" Moon whispered.

Tuxedo Mask gave a half-hearted smile. "Of course I do. It's my duty to help you all defeat the Dark Kingdom."

"No! I don't want you to keep putting yourself in danger like this!" she cried, her eyes starting to shimmer. "I-I don't like seeing you get hurt. What if… what if one day you…"

"Sailor Moon…" the dark-haired man said softly. "I didn't know you cared about me so much."

A single tear streaked down Moon's face. "You dummy… how could you not notice?"

The tear fell from Sailor Moon's cheek and onto Tuxedo Mask's arm, directly onto the deep cut. As the tear splashed and shimmered away, there was another bright glow, just like the one from when Rei was healed by Usagi. In no time at all, Tuxedo Mask's arm was back to normal. The man lifted up his arm and examined it, turning his wrist and flexing his fingers, almost as if in disbelief.

"Thank you, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said. "You're starting to become my hero."

"Stop it! You'll always be my hero and mine alone!" Moon pouted. However, her expression softened when Tuxedo Mask cupped her cheek in his hand and smiled at her.

"I'll see you soon, Bun-Head," the tuxedo-clad man said before slipping away from the young girl and dashing out of view.

Sailor Moon reached up and touched her cheek, feeling it was still warm from her blushing. "Bun-Head… what was that about?" Normally, she would have taken offense to that stupid nickname, so why did she feel so fuzzy when Tuxedo Mask said it? More importantly, why did his voice sound so familiar when he said it?

"Well, I think we know what causes those healing tears of yours now," Makoto said.

"And what might that be?" Ami asked.

"C'mon, Big Blue. You haven't even figured it out?" The brunette looked around at the others one more time, then sighed. "It's love!"

"L-L-Love?!" Usagi stammered. "N-No way! I'm not in with love him! No way!"

"Maybe it doesn't have to be romantic love?" Ami suggested. "After all, you were able to heal Rei, weren't you?"

"As if! I've seen that look she gave Tux before. She's madly in love with that hunk!" Makoto said, puffing out her chest.

Rei nudged the taller girl and grinned at her. "You've seen that look before, eh?"

Makoto's face went red. "What? That's not what I meant! I've… I've never once been in love with anyone! I swear!" She looked around again, seeing the suspicious and doubting looks everyone was giving her. "Screw you guys! I'm going back to my Cooking Club!" she shouted before storming off.

Usagi lowered her head and gave a small smile. "Love huh? That doesn't sound so bad, I guess…"

"So, Bun-Head… got any tears left over for us?" Rei asked, gesturing to her bruised and beaten body.

"Eheh… well, funny story about that…" Usagi said, a bead of sweat forming on her head.

Rei bared her teeth like a wild animal. "Alright then… I'll just have to get some more tears out of you!" she said, cracking her knuckles.

"Rei!" Usagi cried, jumping to her feet and running away from the raven-haired girl. "Makoto just said I need to feel love for the tears to work!"

Rei chased after the blonde girl. "What do you say we put that to the test, then?!"

Ami sighed, smiling as she watched the two horse around. "Somehow, feel like it's never going to get old."

* * *

Mamoru, still dressed as Tuxedo Mask, hid behind the track's bleachers, trying his best to stay out of sight. He had regained control of his body, but now he had to find a way to get out of there before anyone saw him. Just as it look like the coast was clear, he turned around and…

"AUGH!" he shouted, but the sighed with relief. "Geez Naru, you scared me. Don't sneak up on me like that."

Naru said nothing, but stood there with her arms crossed and an angry look on her face.

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "What's with the face?"

"Oh, I think you know," Naru hissed, narrowing her eyes even more.

The dark-haired boy got nervous. His girlfriend had never been mad at him before, at least not seriously like this. "I… don't know…"

Naru stepped up to him, arms still crossed. "Don't think I didn't see how close you were getting to Sailor Moon out there!"

"Wait, what?!" Mamoru asked, stunned. "I wasn't close to her! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't play innocent! You were this close to giving her a big fat kiss!" Naru spat.

"B-But…" Mamrou stuttered, trying to choose his words carefully. "That was Tuxedo Mask doing all of that, not me!"

Naru turned her back on him, huffing like an angry child. "So that's the new excuse, huh? Well don't expect any smooches from me for awhile now!"

Mamoru took off his top hat and squeeze it tightly. "You… you hate me now, don't you?"

Naru kept her back to him for another moment, before whirling around and leaping into his arms. "Of course not, goofy! I was just joking! I know you'd never kiss another girl!"

Mamoru finally released his breath. "For real? You trust me?"

Naru looked up at him with starry eyes and rosy-red cheeks. "I trust you with all my heart, and I mean that!" To prove her point, the redhead stood on her toes and kissed her tall boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his neck. Mamoru gladly returned the kiss, relieved to see his girlfriend back to her cheerful self. After a moment of embrace, the two released each other. "Now, let's get you out of here and out of that outfit. It must be like, a million degrees in that thing on a day like this!"

Mamoru smiled and took her hand. Making sure the coast was clear one more time, the two headed off to the school locker room, thankfully with nobody catching a glimpse of them along the way.

~A Suivre~


	15. Search for the Princess Part 1

Here's chapter 15! Again, sorry for the delay, but this was a really action-focused chapter, and writing actions scenes is particularly difficult. Also, this is my first two-parter, so I had to carefully plan out where the first part would end and the second part would begin. Hopefully it all one together in the end. Part 2 is going to be one huge action scene, so there will probably be a delay on that too LOL.

Also, I wanted to give a shoutout to NiosKlastenos who has been leaving me some great reviews. Thanks for the input, Nios! I appreciate it :)

Hope you all enjoy this new chapter! Feel free to leave a review if you so desire!

* * *

Chapter 15: Search for the Princess Part 1

Kunzite made his way down the pitch-black corridors of the Dark Kingdom, followed by a trio of monsters. One was rather short, only coming up to Kunzite's stomach. It had a cuckoo clock for a head and wore a swallow-tailed suit with dress pants and leather shoes. It walked very properly with its hands behind its back. The second monster was taller and very lanky. It appeared to be made of wood, like an old puppet, and walked with a wobbly gait. It wore something akin to a jester's outfit and had clown makeup smeared over its face. The third monster was female and had pale, velvety skin. Stitches covered her body and she had shiny black buttons for eyes. She wore a purple ballerina dress, tight dance shoes and a princess tiara.

"Forgive me if I speak out of term, Master Kunzite," the doll-like female monster said. "But why are you taking all three of us to see the Queen at once?"

"Watch it, Dori!" the puppet monster snapped. "If you think you might be speaking out of term, then you shouldn't speak!"

"Enough, Ningyo!" Kunzite ordered the puppet. "The Queen has an important mission for me, and she advised that I bring my three best soldiers for the job."

Dori blushed. "You think… we're you're best, Master?"

"HA! I can understand Dori, but Hato over here? He can't even speak!" Ningyo cackled, gesturing to the short monster with a cuckoo clock for a head. The shorty looked up to him for a moment, then turned back to Kunzite without speaking a word.

"If I didn't think you three were my best, I wouldn't have included Hato, now would I?" Kunzite asked Ningyo, who kept quiet this time. "On that note, I would suggest you take notes from Hato, Ningyo. I may allow you to display your… outgoing personality in front of me, but I should warn you that the Queen will tolerate no such thing."

The puppet monster looked down somenly. "Y-Yes Master…"

"Do you have any idea what mission the Queen has in mind for us?" Dori asked.

Kunzite brushed his long, silver hair behind his ear. "All I know is that it has something to do with the Moon Princess."

Ningyo couldn't contain his excitement anymore. "Ohboyohboyohboy! This is already the best mission ever! So are we finally gonna deal with that pretty little bitch? Are we?!" he squealed, now bouncing up and down like a child.

Kunzite flashed a smile at his subordinate. "You'll just have to find out when we get there."

Ningyo was practically jumping out of his skin now (or lack thereof) but Dori put a hand on his shoulder. "Try to remember to restrain yourself," she said sternly.

"Oh, right!" Ningyo said, snapping into an upright position. "Eyes forward, back straight, stone faced!"

After a few turns were made and several stairs were climbed, the four finally arrived at the doors to Queen Metalia's chambers. Unfortunately, Kunzite scowled when he saw who was waiting there.

"Oh my, how disgusting!" Zoisite said in dramatic repulsion. "Nephrite, please shield my eyes from such filthy abominations!"

Despite knowing that his love was exaggerating, Nephrite obliged and covered Zoisite's eyes. "Honestly Kunzite, I'll never understand why you work with those… things," Nephrite said, sounding disappointed.

Ningyo tried to lunge at Nephrite, but Dori held him back. "Make fun of my looks, will ya? You're gonna get it, blondie!"

Kunzite stood up to Nephrite and narrowed his eyes. The two were roughly the same height. "Those 'things' are my trusted subordinates, and you will show them respect, especially in my presence!"

"Respect is the last thing you will get from me, Kunzite!" Nephrite shot back, surprising the silver-haired man. "I respected you once, but I always questioned your obsession with those monsters of yours. But now, after your recent failures, I can see the truth. You're soft, Kunzite! You claim to be a ruthless knight, yet you show loyalty to lowly creatures and love to your weakling of a brother!"

That was all it took. Kunzite flipped his cape aside, revealing a sword sheathed at his waist. He reached down and drew the sharp steel from its sheath, swinging it at Nephrite. The brunette man simply stepped back and waved his hand, producing a long staff in his hand that was shaped like a rose. He brought up the rose staff and easily blocked Kunzite's sword. The two locked their weapons, trying to push a hand other back.

"You dare attack my Nephrite!" Zoisite yelled, conjuring a shard of brimstone in his hand and preparing to attack Kunzite, but he stopped when he felt something sharp against his neck.

"A little slow to the trigger there, Zoisite," Jadeite hissed, having appeared out of nowhere. He was holding a blood blade to the spot where Zoisite's spine met his skull.

All four knights were now at a standstill. Kunzite and Nephrite were locked, Zoisite had a brimstone shard aimed at Kunzite, and Jadeite was one hand movement away from severing Zoisite's spinal cord. After a moment of silence, with Dori, Ningyo and Hato looking on in anticipation, Nephrite nodded to Zoisite, and the two backed down. Zoisite broke his brimstone shard, and Nephrite lowered his rose staff, stepping away from Kunzite.

"You're lucky your little brother showed up, Kunzy!" Zoisite mocked.

Nephite put an arm around his blonde lover and began walking away with him. "If you ever want to settle this, Kunzite, just let me know and we can meet in the training grounds!" the brunette called back to the Knight of Shadows.

Kunzite sighed and sheathed his sword. Dori, Ningyo and Hato ran up to their Master. "Are you alright?!" Dori cried, sounding concerned.

"Of course! I could handle Nephrite with my eyes closed," Kunzite declared. He looked over to his younger brother, who was standing with his arms crossed and looking at him expectantly. "Thank you, Jadeite. If it weren't for you, those two would have had me outnumbered."

Ningyo glanced over to the Knight of Blood. "Ya know, for such a pathetic weakling, you can be a great guy sometimes!"

Jadeite shrugged. "Of course. There's nothing I wouldn't do for my big brother." With that, the blonde knight slinked off into the shadows once again.

"He's quite an oddball," Dori remarked.

"I've grown accustomed to it over the centuries," Kunzite said. "Now, let us not keep our Great Ruler waiting any longer."

Kunzite pushed open the door to Queen Metalia's chamber and entered with his three monsters in tow. Once they approached the glass sphere their Queen was contained in, they all dropped to one knee and bowed their heads. "Queen Metalia, I've brought my three best as per your request," Kunzite said.

Metalia's essence hummed. "I trust the extensive wait will be worth my time?"

"There were some… disturbances along the way…" Kunzite excused.

"No matter. Their task is my main concern as of now." The three monsters felt Metalia focus on them. "Subjects of Kunzite, rise to your feet."

The three stood up and faced their Queen. "How may we be of service, your majesty?" Dori asked.

"As you know, apart from gathering energy for me, our goal has been locating the Moon Princess," Metalia said. "I have recently become aware of three possible candidates for the Princess, and I am tasking you three with capturing them and bringing them to me."

"Who are these candidates?" Dori asked.

"The first is a singer who will be performing today at Tokyo Opera House. Hato will be assigned to her," Metalia informed. Hato remained silent, but nodded to the Queen in acknowledgement. "The second target is an ancient Egyptian priestess at the Museum of Natural History. I am assigning Ningyo to her."

"Uh… how am I supposed to kidnap her if she's ancient?" Ningyo asked. "Doesn't that mean she's dead?"

"Retrieve her corpse from the exhibit!" Metalia hissed, causing Ningyo to shrink away. "It would be wise for you to not interrupt me, Ningyo."

"Forgive me, your greatness!" Ningyo apologized, bowing comically low.

Metalia finally focused on Dori. "Lastly is a senator of the Japanese government. She will be giving a public speech to the people this evening. Dori, you will be going after her."

"Understood, my Queen!" Dori said, saluting Metalia as Kunzite did.

The Knight of Shadows was still on one knee, not wishing to rise without Metalia saying so. However, the mention of the senator giving a speech caught his ear. He knew nothing of this woman or her position, but this speech of hers sounded interesting to him. It must be something important or inspiring if it was being given to an entire population.

"That is all for now," Metalia announced. "Away with you three, and don't return until you have your targets in your grasp!"

"Yes, Queen Metalia!" the three monsters said in union, sans Hato given his lack of speech. Kunzite got to his feet and saluted the Queen along with his monsters, and they all walked backwards out of the room, never facing away from the great ruler.

Once the doors were closed, Ningyo went back to his giddy self. "Woohoo! I've got the easy job! Rolling a dead body on over here should be no trouble whatsoever!" He took off down the hallway, his wooden joints creaking and echoing through the dark halls.

Hato went down another hallway, keeping his gentlemanly posture and never speaking a word. That left Kunzite alone with Dori. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way then," Dori said. She turned to go, but Kunzite grabbed her arm.

"Wait Dori," he said. "I think I will be accompanying you on your mission."

The doll monster blushed. "You… accompanying me? W-What for, Master Kunzite?"

"I…" he began, but lowered his voice and leaned into Dori's ear, causing her to blush even more. "Don't tell the Queen. It pains me to do this without her consent, but I'm most interested in hearing this senator's speech."

"Oh… I see," Dori said shyly. "Well, by all means, come with me. I promise to not tell the Queen!"

Kunzite smiled and stroked the doll monster's braided hair. "Thank you, Dori. I promise not to interfere with your mission."

Dori just blushed harder, trying desperately to contain her excitement. The two went off down the hall to go after their target, but unbeknownst to them, another pair of eyes was watching them from down the hall.

"Looks like Kunzy's up to no good again," Zoisite giggled. "He's got some nerve going behind the Queen's back."

"I knew he had gone soft, but this is going too far!" Nephrite hissed.

Zoisite nudged his lover. "Do you want to go after him?"

"Are you crazy?" Nephrite asked, shocked at the blonde's suggestion. "Do you wish to go against the Queen as well? This is already treason as it is!"

"Nobody needs to know!" Zoisite consoled. "We can just say it was one of our dates…"

Nephrite smiled. "Of course! We were out on a date, then caught Kunzite interfering with a mission!" The taller man leaned down and kissed his lover. "You're brilliant, Zoisite. This will get the Queen to see him for the failure he really is!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Zoisite beamed. The two crept off after the Knight of Shadows with their malicious intentions, but failed to notice that someone was watching them.

"I guess it's Disobey the Queen Day!" Jadeite laughed to himself. "Well, if everyone else is doing it…" The Knight of Blood snuck his way down the hall, following behind Zoisite and Nephrite, who were following Kunzite and Dori.

* * *

It was a chaotic day at The Crown. As per usual, Usagi and her friends had shown up at the arcade and made Motoki's life hectic. They were his most frequent and most valued customers, but despite knowing they were just teenage girls, he wished they would tone down the whole 'teenage girl act.'

Usagi was struggling to keep up with the new dancing game Motoki had just installed. Even though she had proven to be a fast runner, that was only when she was gong in a straight line. Having to move her feet in eight different directions proved to be an immeasurable strain on her petite legs.

"C'mon… just one more verse and this song is mine!" the blonde said, concentrated on beating the song by her favorite band, The Starlights. She had made it to the last verse, but had already blown half her allowance on getting there. If she messed up now, that would be a week's worth of chores down the drain.

GAME OVER!

"Auuugggh!" Usagi cried. "This game is rigged just like the rest!"

Across the room, Rei and Makoto were doing their usual routine of fighting over the Sailor V game. They had made it to what most presumed to be an impossible boss, but this time Makoto had a plan.

"Alright, this is it. Remember the combo I told you about?" she asked.

Rei rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I remember. Let's just get this over with."

The two turned their attention to the controls and went to work. As usual, Makoto was Sailor V and Rei, much to her disapproval, was her trusty cat sidekick Artemis. Their opponent was a large Frankenstein monster that shot lightning bolts out of his hands and spat acid at them. The reason he was considered impossible was because the lightning attacks paralyzed you, allowing him to hit you with his acid attacks, which took nearly half your health with one hit. However, Makoto had learned this secret combo which was rumored to kill this boss with one hit. If she and Rei could pull it off at the same time, they were guaranteed to win…

GAME OVER!

"What the hell?!" Makoto snapped. "You told me you remembered the combo!"

"I did! It was Up, Up, Left, Jump, Down, Down, Right, or whatever," Rei retorted.

The brunette just facepalmed. "No, you idiot! It's Up, Up, Left, Down, Down, Right, THEN Jump. Get it together or we'll never beat this guy!"

Ami was sitting at the snack bar, giggling as she watched her friends struggle with the arcade games. Despite not being the strongest of the Sailor Soldiers, she easily considered herself the most mature and level-headed.

"Here you go, Ami," Motoki said, handing her a glass of lemonade from behind the counter.

Ami graciously accepted the drink and handed him the cash in return. "Thank you, Motoki."

The older boy joined her in watching the other three rant and rage over their little arcade games. "They sure are a wild bunch. No offense, but I'll never understand how a smart girl like you gets along with them."

Ami smiled and took another sip of her lemonade. "It's not as bad as you think. They may act like little kids from time to time, but we're all still good friends. Well, Rei and Makoto I'm not so sure about, but I have a feeling they'll warm up to each other eventually."

Motoki chuckled at this remark. "Hehe, warm up. That's a good one, Ami!"

Ami raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I thought that was a pun," Motoki said. "Warm up, like fire? Because Rei is Sailor Mars?"

Ami's blood went as cold as her Aqua Mist. "W-W-What do you mean? Don't be ridiculous! There's no way Rei can be Sailor Mars!"

"She totally is! Usagi told me," the boy said casually. "She also told me that she's Sailor Moon, Makoto is Sailor Jupiter, and you're Sailor Mercury!"

The blue-haired girl felt as if she were seconds away from passing out. Usagi was in for the chewing-out of a lifetime. "S-So you know, huh? I guess it's only right since we always have our meetings here…"

Ami finished her lemonade and set it down on the counter. Motoki took it back to the sink to wash it, winking at Ami as he went. "Don't worry. You're secret's safe with me, Mercury!" he whispered.

Once Motoki was out of sight, the usually shy but now pissed off girl began to make her way over to Usagi. Suddenly, Luna burst into The Crown. "Girls! We have something urgent to discuss!"

Ami sat down at a table, while Usagi, Rei and Makoto begrudgingly dragged themselves away from their games. Once they were all gathered around, Luna hopped up on the table. "This better be important, kitty. Rei and I were on a roll!"

"Sorry I interrupted you're busy day," Luna said sarcastically. "My boss contacted me this morning and told me about two possible candidates for the Moon Princess; an opera singer at the Tokyo Opera House and a mummified priestess at the Museum of Natural History. The problem is he also picked up numerous dark energy readings throughout the city, so that probably means the Dark Kingdom has discovered the candidates too and is going after them. I need you four to split up and protect the two confirmed candidates at all costs. Any questions?"

"Just one," Usagi said. "Could you repeat all that please?"

Luna rolled her eyes. "Any _real_ questions?"

Ami raised her hand. "What makes your boss so sure that these two are the Moon Princess? Do they have anything in common?"

The black cat's eyes darted to the left. "I… he didn't specify any common features. Only that there was a high likelihood that they were the Moon Princess…"

Ami was unsure of the cat's answer. Before she could ask anything else, Makoto interjected. "I have a question: how the hell is a dead body supposed to be the Moon Princess?"

Luna seemed to shrink further away at this remark. "My boss didn't remark on that either. I… I suppose it must have something to do with an energy readout they had…" She could see more questions were about to come her way, so she quickly spoke up. "Look, the important thing right now is that the Dark Kingdom is after them and they need to be protected! In order to cover more ground, you four need to split up and go after the two targets at once."

Ami nodded in agreement. "She's right. The longer we sit here, the closer the Dark Kingdom could be getting to them. Let's divide into groups of two and-"

"I'm going with Usagi!" Rei said suddenly, scooting close to the blonde. Everyone looked at her with bewilderment, causing her to blush. "Well, someone needs to keep her in check!"

"Hey, I can take care of myself ReiRei!" Usagi leaned away from Rei, but in the process she tilted her chair and fell hard onto the floor.

"You were saying, Bun-Head?" the raven-haired girl said, looking down at her friend who now had spirals for eyes.

"I guess that leaves you and me, Big Blue!" Makoto said, putting an arm around the nerdy girl's shoulders.

Ami blushed at the contact with the brunette, but cringed at the same time from her offensive nickname. "Yeah… I guess it does…"

"We don't have time to waste girls!" Luna barked. "Transform and move out!"

* * *

The atmosphere in Tokyo Opera House was simply heavenly. The audience was packed, yet silent. All the lights flooded the stage, shining down on a tall, dark-haired woman in a long, silver dress. She sang in a beautiful, angelic voice that resonated as if it were a choir and not an individual. All eyes were focused on the woman and all ears were focused on her voice which seemed to reach beyond the edges of the Earth itself.

Up in the lighting room, two men in black t-shirts and pants operated the lights that brought the stage to life. They had almost become a part of the audience themselves, listening to the singer's vice, but still kept their cues in mind for when to turn certain lights up or down. However, the two jumped when they heard a pounding at the door to the room.

"Hello?" one of the operators said quietly as to not disturb the audience. When no answer came, he walked over to the door and reached out to open it, but leapt back when the door was smashed open.

The two men were dumbfounded by what they saw: what looked like a person no more than three feet tall dressed in a swallow-tailed suit with a cuckoo clock for a head. The thing strolled into the lighting room, arms folded behind its back.

"Stop! You're not authorized to be here!" the second operator scolded. He stomped over to the short person, intending to drag him out of the room.

The quiet theatre was suddenly sent into panic when two men came crashing out of the windows of the lighting room above them. They fell a good fifty feet before breaking nearly every bone in their body against the hard carpeted floor.

In the lighting room above, Hato ignored the panic taking place below him and took out a giant pair of shears that were shaped like the hands of a clock. With one snap of the metal blades, he cut every cord that led to the control panel, causing every light to go off in the opera house, except for the manual center stage light that was still focused on the singer lady.

As everyone dashed towards the exits in a panic, the opera lady remained onstage, frozen with fear and sorrow that her big day had been ruined by the sudden deaths of two of her crew members. She was even more frightened when she noticed that a small shape had formed in front of the center stage light, casting a shadow over her. The shape began to get bigger and bigger as Hato leapt out of the lighting room and flew towards the stage, headed straight for the opera lady. She let out a terrified scream as the shadow of the clock monster overtook her and the beast pounced onto his prey…

* * *

The main hall of the Museum of Natural History was crowded to say the least. Families brought their kids to see the new fossil skeletons that had recently been erected along the walls of the main hall. To the left was a massive Wooly Mammoth, to the right was a terrifying Triceratops, and at the end of the hall, standing proudest and mightiest of them all, was a tyrannical Tyrannosaurus Rex. Children stood at the base of the skeletons in awe, looking up at their mesmerizing prehistoric visage. One could only wonder how such creatures existed at one point in time.

Of course, Ningyo wasn't here to gawk at some decrepit bones. He was here to retrieve the mummified body of an ancient Egyptian priestess, who the Queen suspected to be the Moon Princess for some odd reason. Whatever the case, Ningyo wasn't about to question his Great Ruler twice, especially not after the warning he had gotten back in her chambers. Once he brought back the priestess' body, however, he had a feeling it would get him back in the Queen's good graces.

People were mortified when a wooden puppet man dressed in a jester's outfit came stumbling into the museum like a zombie, its joints creaking and its feet scraping against the marble floor. Parents covered their children's eyes and ran for the exit. Security guards approached the monster with their taser guns drawn. Only they would be foolish enough to think that small jolts of electricity would paralyze Ningyo's wooden body. The puppet monster easily swatted the guards aside, stepping over their unconscious bodies and walking further into the museum.

One more security guard ran up to Ningyo, but the jester had different plans in mind for this one. After knocking away the guard's baton, he reached out and summoned glowing threads from each of his fingertips. The threads ensnared the security guard and disappeared, only now the man felt no control over his body. As Ningyo moved his hands around, the guard's body moved in sync. The puppet monster was now controlling this man like a puppet.

"Kind sir, would you care to show me where the Ancient Egyptian exhibit is?" Ningyo asked in mock politeness.

After guiding the security guard around for several minutes, the two found themselves walking through a hall filled with Egyptian artifacts and tiny sculptures that reenacted historical scenes, from the building of the pyramids to the crowning of a pharaoh. Eventually, the two made it to the climax of the exhibit: a large glass case that contained a golden casket sculpted to resemble a woman in elegant makeup.

"Now then, I wish to have this exhibit for myself," Ningyo said. "Please unlock the case for me."

The security guard, still under the puppet's control, took out a ring of keys and stepped up to the glass case, shoving a key into the lock.

"Wait, what am I doing?" Ningyo asked himself, suddenly swatting the guard aside, rendering him unconscious like the rest. "I can just smash this thing!" The puppet monster raised his arm and shattered the glass case with one sweep. "Lucky I'm not made of fabric like Dori, or this could've been messy…"

Ningyo proceeded to step up to the golden casket and wrap his arms around it. Upon trying to lift it up, he easily lost his grip and sent it toppling to the ground below. "Dammit! This thing's heavy!" He stepped down the the casket and gingerly picked it up again, this time taking extra care to use all his strength. "This'll take awhile to haul outta here…"

* * *

Usagi and Rei finally arrived at the Opera House, only to be greeted by hundreds of panicked audience members running out in utter terror.

"Looks like we're one step behind," Rei said. "We have to get in there before the princess in kidnapped!"

"Hey, you think she'll give us free tickets to the next show if we save her?" Usagi asked with a grin.

"Not now Usagi!" Rei shouted. "Just transform and let's get in there!"

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

The two Sailor Soldiers snuck into the building through a back entrance as to avoid being seen by any of the fleeing civilians. Upon entering the theatre, the first thing they noticed was how dark and quiet it was. All the lights had been cut and not a soul was in sight. The only sound that could be heard was their feet scraping against the carpeted floor.

"Any sign of Dark Kingdom activity?" Mars asked.

"Uh… Rei? Does that answer your question?" Moon pointed up to the stage, revealing Hato still standing in the center stage light, holding an unconscious opera lady under his arm.

Mars looked at him closely. "Why is he just standing there?"

"I don't know, but it's creeping me out…" Moon said, her voice shaking a little. "M-Maybe he's asleep?"

The two girls decided to test this by walking across the room. For a moment, Hato remained still and unmoving, but as soon as they crossed his line of sight, his cuckoo clock head snapped towards them.

"Eep!" Moon cried. "Definitely not asleep!"

"Don't forget why we're here," Mars said. "We have to rescue that woman before he gets away. C'mon, let's get up there."

Moon and Mars began making their way towards the stage, Hato's head following them as they came closer. As they walked up the steps and towards the center of the stage, a tiny door on Hato's cuckoo clock head suddenly opened and a deformed bird head popped out. "CUCKOO! CUCKOO!" it screeched before pulling back into the door.

Sailor Moon froze and hid behind Mars. "I'm not getting any closer to that thing!"

"Quit being such a baby!" Mars chastised. "Watch, he can't be that tough! He's shorter than your are."

"Hey!" Moon whined as Mars walked over to Hato.

The Soldier of Passion stepped right up to the monster and looked down at him, stabbing her pointer finger at his face. "You there! I demand you release this woman or else!" Hato remained silent and unmoving, and Mars lowered her finger. "Maybe I came off too aggressive… uh… pretty please let that kind woman go?" Mars said politely, putting her hands together in a pleading bow. Still, Hato didn't move. Mars' eyebrow narrowed. "Are you deaf or something?! Let this woman go right now!" Still no response. At this point, the raven-haired girl was livid. "ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK STUPID YOU BASTA-"

BAM!

Mars was cut off when Hato raised his arm and slapped his palm across her face, knocking her off the stage and into the seats below.

Sailor Moon giggled lightly. "I guess you don't need him to look stupid ReiRe-"

She was similarly cut off by Hato landing a drop kick into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying into the seat next to Sailor Mars.

"You were saying something about looking stupid?" Mars remarked.

"Oh, knock it off, Mars!" Sailor Moon retorted. "Let's just get rid of this guy so you can stop being a big meanie!" The two stood up on their seats and prepared their attacks.

"MOON TIARA-"

"FIRE-"

Before either Soldier could finish their attacks, a pair of deformed bird heads on the end of long, spindly necks stretched out of Hato's clock head and smashed into them, sending them into seats further away from the stage. As they regained their composure, they looked up and saw nearly a dozen bird heads sticking out of Hato's clock. "CUCKOO! CUCKOO! CUCKOO!" they repeated over and over.

"Oh great… now it's laughing at us…" Moon grunted, pushing herself to her feet.

"Sailor Moon, wait!" Mars said, holding up her hand. "I don't know if you felt what I did, but I need to test something before we make our next move."

The blonde heroine looked curiously at her friend. "What are you talking about?"

"FIRE SOUL!"

Without answering Usagi, Mars reared back and hurled a fireball at Hato with all her strength, only for the blazing projectile to soar past the monster.

"Nice going, Mars. You missed!" Moon snapped.

"No, I didn't miss. I threw that fireball right where he was standing a second ago, but now he's all the way over there…" Mars said. "Tell me, did you feel your body lock up right before he hit us?"

Sailor Moon thought for a moment. "Y-Yeah… but what does that mean?"

The Soldier of Fire narrowed her eyes at the enemy in front of them. "It means he can stop time…"

"What?! That's insane!" Moon cried. "How can we beat him if he can stop time?"

Before Mars could answer, several of Hato's bird heads came streaking towards the two soldiers. They barely had enough time to jump out of the way before the chairs they were just in were shredded by the birds' beaks.

Moon and Mars ducked down behind another set of seats in another aisle, hiding from the clock monster. "Let's try splitting up. Maybe he can't freeze both of us if we're not in the same spot. I need you to create a distraction while I sneak up and rescue to opera lady."

"Why do I have to distract him?" Sailor Moon pouted.

"Because your obnoxious personality is the most distracting thing I've ever seen," Mars said with a smirk.

"Reiiii! Why are you so-"

SMASH!

Usagi was cut off by another row of chairs being destroyed by Hato. It seemed the monster was trying to find them by tearing apart the entire theatre.

"Go, now!" Mars ordered as she crawled off in the other direction. Moon whimpered to herself as she crawled the other way. Soon enough, the two soldiers were on either side of the theatre.

Sailor Moon jumped up and faced Hato with defiant eyes. "Hey you!" Hato turned towards her. "How come you've got that thing over your head? Is your real face just that ugly? Not that your doing much better hiding behind an old cuckoo clock!"

Hato didn't speak a word, but is actions spoke how he took the insult. He opened the door on his clock head and sent a dozen bird heads stretching out towards the blonde soldier. Sailor Moon panicked and leapt to the side, nearly being skewered by the birds' pointy beaks. She continued to run around and clumsily avoid attack after attack from the bird heads. Eventually, Hato grew tired of his prey escaping him, and he proceeded to stop time where Sailor Moon stood, allowing him to strike her with one of his bird heads.

As Sailor Mars crept up behind Hato, she watched one of his heads throw her against a wall, the impact being so great it formed a crack in the wall. "Sorry Usagi. Just hold on for a bit longer…"

Sailor Moon struggled to her feet, only to see several more bird heads approaching her. She quickly rolled to the side, but not without getting her arm grazed by one of their beaks. "That's it! I'm not just gonna stand here anymore!"

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

She threw the golden disk at Hato, hoping to take off his cuckoo clock head with one move. However, the monster quickly used his time-stopping ability to freeze the disk mere inches away from him. He then proceeded to take out his giant clock-hand shears and lock them around the tiara, intending to cut the glowing weapon in half.

"Oh no! He's going to destroy my tiara!" Sailor Moon cried.

"Dammit Usagi!" Mars said, frustrated.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The raven-haired soldier threw one of her fireballs at Hato's hands, destroying his shears and allowing Sailor Moon's tiara to return to her. Unfortunately, her action gave away her position to Hato, and he was none too pleased to find someone sneaking up behind him.

"Crap…" was all Mars was able to get out before Hato stopped time around her and slammed her against the wall using every bird head he had inside him. Mars felt all the air flee from her lungs as the birds' beaks pressed into her torso. The force of the blow was enough to make her cough up blood as well.

Hato stalked his way over to Mars, the opera lady still tucked securely under his arm. He stood above the Soldier of Passion, staring down at her with no words. Mars glared defiantly at him, as if daring him to make the finishing blow. Hato was about to do just that, when suddenly…

SLICE!

Sailor Moon's tiara came back and phased right through the arm holding the opera lady. Despite no having and facial feature to express his pain, the way Hato's body convulsed was enough to communicate the agony he felt after having his limb severed. The monster's arm dropped to the ground along with the opera lady.

"Lucky this thing works like a boomerang!" Sailor Moon cheered as her tiara came back into her position. "I didn't even have to say my attack twice!"

Acting fast, Sailor Mars jumped to her feet and grabbed the opera lady, heaving her over her shoulder and running back up the aisles to meet with Sailor Moon. Meanwhile, Hato dropped to his knees and clutched his now stumped arm, blood seeping out of the wound like a waterfall.

"Good job, Usagi! I didn't think you had it in you," Mars said in her best attempt at a compliment.

Sailor Moon placed her hands on her hips. "Maybe you shouldn't underestimate me, ReiRei!"

Mars rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get this woman to safety and leave this bastard to-"

Once again, the Soldier of Fire was cut off, only this time it wasn't from an attack. For the first time, Hato made a sound, only it was no pleasant tune to the ears. It was a violent, horrific shriek that echoed throughout the theatre. The piercing noise burrowed into Moon and Mars' eardrums, and the girls quickly threw their hands over their heads to protect themselves from the nightmarish sound. Hato's back arched and his fists clenched hard enough to draw blood. His cuckoo clock of a head began to crack, splinter, and eventually burst apart, sending slivers of wood and clock cogs flying through the air. Finally, the screeching ceased.

"What the…" Mars gasped as she looked up at Hato's new visage. Sailor Moon covered her mouth to prevent a scream from escaping.

Hato's clock head was destroyed, and in its place were nearly twenty deformed, featherless bird heads on the ends of long, twisted, spindly necks. They all squawked and screeched like mad vultures, their eyes fixated on the two Sailor Soldiers.

* * *

Ami and Makoto made their way into the main hall of the Museum of Natural History, taking in the eerie silence of how abandoned the usually lively establishment was.

"I'm a little nervous about this…" Ami whispered, reaching out to cling to Makoto's firm yet slender arms. However, she was taken aback when the taller girl shook her off.

"C'mon, Big Blue. Don't be a scaredy cat," Makoto said with a smirk.

Ami sighed, then prepared to ask her friend something she felt was a long time coming. "Makoto, could you please not call me-"

Am stopped herself when she heard the squeaking noise of something heavy being dragged across the marble floor. She and Makoto readied their Transformation Pens as Ningyo came out from around the corner lugging a huge golden casket on his back. He too came to a stop when he saw a pair of young girls standing in the middle of the hall as if they were waiting for him.

"If your with the authorities, the government, or my fan club, then get the hell out of my way!" Ningyo snapped.

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

"JUPITER POWER! MAKE UP!"

Once the blue and green lights faded, the two girls that once stood before Ningyo were now replaced with two Sailor Soldiers.

"Damned Sailor Bitches! And here I thought this mission would end up going smoothly…" Ningyo groaned.

"Put that casket down!" Mercury ordered. "If you leave quietly we will be happy to spare you!"

"Uh, no we won't," Jupiter said to the shorter girl.

Ningyo laughed. "So, it's a fight you want, eh? I hate to tell you this, but I'm not much of a fighter."

"Well, then this shouldn't take long…" Jupiter sneered, cracking her knuckles and walking towards the puppet monster.

"Oh, no, no. Just because I'm not fighting doesn't mean you won't be fighting!" Ningyo hissed. He proceeded to spread his arms wide and launch his glowing threads at the Wooly Mammoth, Triceratops, and T-rex skeletons. Once the threads were attached, the deceased prehistoric creatures came back to life, stepping off their pedestals and stomping over to the two Sailor Soldiers.

Mercury stared at the beasts in awe. "I've never seen these creatures in motion before. They're so… beautiful…" Sailor Jupiter yanked the nerdy girl to the side just at the Triceratops was about to impale her on the ends of its horns.

"This is no time for gawking, Mercury!" Jupiter shouted. "We've got bring this big bastards down before they have us for lunch!"

Mercury tapped her on the shoulder. "Actually, the T-rex is the only carnivore of the three…"

"I don't care!" Jupiter snapped. She then turned to the T-rex and activated the lighting rod on her tiara. "Alright, bonehead! Time to pull a reverse Frankenstein on your ass!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Jupiter let loose her lightning attack, sending searing bolts of electricity hurtling towards the tyrant lizard king. The bolts hits dead on, and spread across the beast's entire skeleton, leaving blackened patches all over the bones. Despite the devastating nature of the attack, the T-rex remained standing and moving.

"Oh, right. I guess they're kinda already dead…" Jupiter muttered.

THWACK!

The Soldier of Courage was suddenly swatted aside by the T-rex's powerful tail and thrown all the way to the other end of the main hall.

"Jupiter!" Mercury cried. However, she was given no time to breathe as she was set upon by the Triceratops and Wooly Mammoth. The two beasts charged her from either side, the Mammoth intending to thrash her with its tusks and the Triceratops aiming to gore her with its horns.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The Soldier of Wisdom summoned forth her freezing cold mist, obscuring the vision of the two beasts and allowing her to jump out of the way. Just as the mist cleared, the Mammoth and Triceratops crashed into each other, horns and tusks locking like a Chinese finger trap.

"That was close…" Mercury gasped. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled into the air and something tighten around her neck. The T-rex had snuck up behind her and bit into the collar of her sailor uniform, lifting her nearly twenty feet off the ground and throwing her into a nearby wall.

Sailor Mercury's vision was blurry for a moment, but it came back just in time to see the T-rex standing over her, about to scoop her up in his mouth and rip her to pieces with his bone-crushing teeth. Mercury was still too sore from the shock of the impact against the wall, forcing her to raise her arms and brace herself from the brutal end she was about to meet.

CRUNCH!

The sound of bones cracking echoed throughout the hall, only they didn't belong to Sailor Mercury. Jupiter had recovered from the dinosaur's tail attack and had come running to save Mercury. She did so by slamming her fist into the T-rex's head and completely shattering its skull, scattering teeth and chunks of bone all across the marble floor.

"You okay?" Jupiter said, helping Mercury to her feet. Of course, the blue-haired girl was still struck with amazement by the brunette's incredible display of strength.

There was no time to celebrate however, as the T-rex's clawed foot came crashing down and nearly pulverized the two Sailor Soldiers, if not for Jupiter pulling them out of the way just in time.

"What the hell?" Jupiter spat. "I took his freaking head off! How is he still moving?!"

Mercury pressed a button on her earring and brought up her blue visor. She scanned the three prehistoric beasts and saw numerous invisible threads running from their bodies to Ningyo's fingers. "That monster is controlling them with his powers. They'll probably be able to move no matter how many limbs we take off!"

"So what do we do then?" the taller girl asked.

Mercury zoomed in and scanned the controlling threads. "Those threads appear to be extremely fragile despite their power. If we can cut their connection to the skeletons, maybe they'll go down!" She deactivated her visor and conjured another pair of water spirals.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Once again, Mercury sprayed her icy mist at the three walking fossils, this time focusing on where she saw the invisible threads connecting. Sure enough, a layer of ice formed over the threads and gave away their position.

"There they are! Break them, Jupiter!" Mercury shouted.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Using both hands, Jupiter fired a trio of lightning bolts at the three sets of threads, striking them where Mercury's ice coating was and snapping them like twigs. Instantly, the three living skeletons went limp and crumbled to the ground, turning the ancient beasts into what they had been for millions of years; a pile of bones.

"My precious puppets!" Ningyo cried.

"Big talk coming from an actual puppet!" Jupiter mocked.

"We've got you outnumbered now!" Mercury threatened. "Give up the casket or we'll be forced to destroy you!"

Ningyo twisted his wooden face into a crooked smile. "Who has who outnumbered now?" With that, he extended his fingers and shot out more glowing threads, this time tangling them around Sailor Jupiter. The Soldier of Thunder let out a cry of pain as her limbs were trussed and squeezed by the thin lines.

"Jupiter!" Sailor Mercury screamed. She watched as her friend's own screams came to a stop and were replaced by heavy panting. "Jupiter, are you okay?"

"Ami… I'm sorry…" Jupiter whispered. Before Mercury could respond, a jagged lighting bolt shot from Jupiter's hand and stuck Sailor Mercury, electrocuting her and knocking her backwards.

"Jupiter… w-what… what are you doing?" Mercury whimpered. Her eyes widened with horror as she saw the brunette charging up another attack, while Ningyo grinned maliciously behind her.

* * *

Twenty ugly-as-sin bird heads came darting towards Sailor Moon and Mars, allowing them barely enough time to jump out of the way before they were minced by the birds' hooked beaks. Upon realizing they missed their target, the birds shrieked like demons and began snapping in all directions, destroying chairs, balconies, lights, and anything they could get their sharp mouths around. Sailor Moon ran around with no rhyme or reason like her usual klutzy self, seemingly avoiding the enraged avians by pure luck. Mars on the other hand was leaping around like a ballerina, gracefully dodging the birds with ease, all while juggling the opera lady in her arms to make sure she didn't get hurt or worse.

"This is even more nuts than before!" Moon cried. "How are we supposed to keep up with all of these freaks?!"

"Calm down and think, Bun-Head!" Mars yelled. "Try using your tiara on their necks. They look pretty thin and fragile!"

"Great thinking, ReiRei!" the blonde chirped.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The Soldier of Justice threw her tiara into the tangled mess of bird necks, managing to sever a great number of their heads from Hato's body. The decapitated heads fell to the ground with a flop and quickly turned to dust.

"Oh yeah!" Sailor Moon cheered as her tiara returned to her forehead.

However, as the blonde heroine was celebrating, Hato's stumped necks suddenly began bulging, and within seconds, two new heads sprouted from where one neck once stood.

"Oh no…" Moon gasped. In a flash, one of the new heads stuck like a snake and threw her against the wall.

Mars grit her teeth, still trying to avoid the snapping beaks. "Dammit… he's like a hydra!" Meanwhile, Sailor Moon got back to her feet and took off her tiara again.

"MOON TIARA-"

"No, wait!" Mars cried.

"-BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon threw the golden disk once again, chopping off a total of ten more bird heads. Unfortunately, this only resulted in twenty fresh heads sprouting anew.

"We can't cut off any more heads until we figure out a way to stop their regeneration!" Mars said.

"Maybe we can find a way to cover the necks before they grow back?" Moon suggested. "Y'know, kinda like covering a leaky pipe?"

Mars thought for a moment, then a lightbulb appeared over her head. "Usagi, you're a genius!"

"I am?" the blonde asked, taken aback by Rei's unusual compliment.

"Quickly! Keep cutting off his heads with your tiara, and leave the rest to me!" Mars said, forming a fireball in her hand.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Acting fast, Sailor Moon sent her tiara whisking towards the bird heads once again, cutting them down like weeds. Just as a new batch of heads were about to grow, Sailor Mars sprang into action.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The raven-haired soldier chucked several fireballs at Hato's stumped necks, effectively welding the flesh shut before a new head could regenerate. The two repeated this process several times, with Sailor Moon cutting off the squawking heads and Sailor Mars sealing them off before new heads could grow back. Soon enough, only one head remained. It was the center head, and it appeared to be the one directly attached to Hato's body.

"You ready to roast this turkey?" Sailor Moon said with a grin.

"I like your dark side, Bun-Head," Mars said, smiling back.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

As Sailor Moon let her tiara fly, Mars threw a fireball alongside it. The vortex created by the spinning tiara pulled the fireball into it, creating a flaming golden disk that sliced into Hato's last remaining head and cauterized the stump at the same time. With all of his heads now gone, Hato slumped forwards onto his knees, and then onto his stomach before turning grey and shriveling into dust.

The two Sailor Soldiers fell backwards onto their butts, finally able to catch their breath. "That… was some workout…" Sailor Moon said.

"Probably the most activity you've had in weeks," Sailor Mars remarked.

"You meanie!" Moon shot back. Before they could argue further, her attention turned to the unconscious opera lady. "Is she… okay?"

Mars put two fingers to the woman's pulse. "She's alive. We should still make sure she gets medical attention." The Soldier of Fire de-transformed and pulled out her cell phone. "I'll call an ambulance. You let Luna know she's safe."

"Okie dokie!" Sailor Moon said, undoing her own transformation as well. She was about to use her communicator to contact Luna, but her eyes suddenly fell onto a necklace the opera lady was wearing. It was a large silver gem that was nearly the size of a small orange. "So pretty…" Usagi thought to herself.

* * *

Ningyo grinned from ear to ear, pleased with the sly and dirty move he had pulled on the Sailor Soldiers. The bells on his jester outfit jingled as he danced around, controlling Sailor Jupiter's every move. He forced the tall girl to shoot lightning bolt after lightning bolt at her blue-haired friend.

"You have to fight back, Mercury!" Jupiter shouted. "He'll make me kill you if you don't!"

"I can't!" Mercury cried. She rolled to the side and dodged another Supreme Thunder attack. "Please, try to break free of his control! You're strong, Makoto! I know you can break free!"

Sailor Jupiter flexed every muscle in her body, pulling against the invisible threads that controlled her. Despite the immense strain she felt, the threads refused to break, and the Soldier of Courage remained Ningyo's puppet. "It's too strong!"

"Enough of this!" the puppet monster scoffed. "Let's kill her and be done with it, Sailor Jupiter!"

Ningyo yanked on one of the threads and forced Jupiter to fire another Supreme Thunder at Sailor Mercury. Due to her small size, she was able to dodge it with relative ease, but once she got her stance back, she found herself cornered by Jupiter against the fallen T-rex skeleton. Seeing her tall friend approach her, Mercury quickly grabbed one of the dinosaur's rib bones and held it like a club.

"Please break free Jupiter…" Mercury whimpered. "I-I don't want to hurt you…"

Jupiter narrowed her eyes. "If you don't fight me, you'll die! Stop making excuses and just hit me already!"

Mercury squeezed her eyes shut and swung the rib with all her might, aiming for Jupiter's head. She felt the bone connect with something, and slowly opened her eyes, fearing that she would see her friend with a giant wound on her head. Instead, she saw that Jupiter had blocked the rib with her arm, preventing it from ever reaching her. Mercury stood there in shock, when suddenly the brunette reached forward, grabbed her by the black of the head, and rammed her knee into the shorter girl's stomach. Mercury felt her lungs completely deflate as she stumbled backwards, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Excellent…" Ningyo hissed, clenching his fist.

Before Mercury could recover, she was hit dead-on with a massive bolt of lightning, electrocuting her entire body and burning her skin. The Soldier of Water fell to the ground, her body twitching and convulsing from the electrical attack.

"Ami…" Jupiter said under her breath.

"Ooo, this is just too good!" Ningyo chirped. "I can't wait to see how Metalia will react when I return with the Moon Princess, one dead Sailor Soldier, and another under my control!"

Sailor Mercury pushed herself to her feet, using every bit of strength that remained in her body. She stared into Sailor Jupiter's eyes, meeting the brunette's pained expression. She could only imagine how the girl felt being forced to put her through so much agony.

"That was quite an attack, Jupiter," Mercury said. "I don't think I'll be able to handle another one…"

Ningyo smiled. "Is that so?"

"Mercury, what are you doing?!" Jupiter said, panic all over her voice.

The blue-haired girl looked over at Ningyo. "I bet if you hit me with another one of those lightning bolts, I'll drop dead in seconds!"

"Well then, I say we put that theory to the test!" the puppet monster laughed.

Jupiter panicked as she felt her arm being raised to the lightning rod on her tiara, charging up another Supreme Thunder. "Mercury, get out of the way!" she cried, but Mercury stood her ground.

"DIE!" Ningyo screeched, clenching his fist and unleashing Sailor Jupiter lightning attack.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The Soldier of Wisdom surrounded herself with a cold mist. Jupiter's lightning struck the mist and was immediately conducted by it, creating a cloud of water vapor and electricity. Mercury's body tensed as the lightning hit her body as well, feeling the electricity course through and burn her insides, but it was all part of her plan. She began pulling the mist into her hands, condensing the vapor and rolling it into a basketball-sized orb of electrified water.

"What the…" Jupiter and Ningyo said in unison.

With one swing of her arm, Mercury hurled the electricity water orb at Ningyo, splashing it all over his body. The water caused his joints to rust and the lightning charred the wood that made up every inch of his body. After letting out a final scream of agony, Ningyo collapsed into a pile of wooden body parts, all of which quickly decayed and crumbled to dust.

Jupiter felt the threads on her body disappear. She wasted no time, running over to Sailor Mercury and catching her as she fell forward. "Ami! Are you okay?!"

In her weakened state, Ami de-transformed and looked up at Makoto with a weak smile. "Y-Yeah… I think I'll make it…"

Makoto suddenly pulled Ami into a tight hug, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I was supposed to protect you but I almost killed you…"

Ami hugged her tall friend back, her blush thankfully out of her friend's sight. "You don't have to apologize. That monster was controlling you. I know you would never do anything like that to any of us."

"B-But you're so small… and fragile," Makoto said, her voice shaking. "Someone like you should never be put in that situation…"

Ami pulled away from the hug, resting her hands on Makoto's shoulders and staring deep into her eyes. "Look at me, Makoto. I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Y-Yeah…" the brunette said quietly.

"And I beat that monster, didn't I?" Ami asked.

Makoto smiled proudly. "You sure did…"

"I'm not as fragile as you think," Ami giggled. "We're both Sailor Soldiers. You may be bigger and stronger, but I don't need any more protecting than you do."

"I guess you're right," Makoto said, wiping the moisture from her eyes.

"And plus, I'm smarter than you!" Ami smiled brightly.

"You sure are, Big Blue!" Makoto chuckled, wrapping Ami in a soft headlock and giving her a noogie. Both girls laughed for a moment before Ami got loose.

"Alright, okay, you've made your point!" the blue-haired girl panted. "Anyway, let's get back to Luna and tell her we got rid of the monster. Rei and Usagi are probably done with their mission by now too. I hope…" she added at the end.

"I'm sure Usagi was able to take down whatever they fought," Makoto said.

Ami raised an eyebrow. "What about Rei?"

"What _about_ Rei?" Makoto huffed, walking away with her arms crossed.

Ami sighed and shook her head, hoping those two would get over their differences one day. She walked over to the casket which presumably held the Moon Princess, if Luna's boss was right. As she inspected the casket for damages, she noticed something encrusted into the chest area of the casket's woman-shaped sculpture. It was a large silver gem that was nearly the size of a small orange.

* * *

Off in another part of the city, streets were cut off by police cars and people were gathered into a massive crowd. At the end of the street was a large stage with a podium at the center and several microphones attached to it. A public speech was about to take place.

At the center of the crowd, two individuals masked themselves amongst the people, hiding in plain sight. A silver-haired man wore a casual shirt and tie with khaki pants, while the woman next to him wore a long green and yellow striped dress and a sun hat that masked most of her face. Of course, the reason she hid her face was to keep the numerous stitches that covered her visage out of sight.

"It's almost time," Kunzite said, noticing a pair of guards had walked up onstage.

"Are you sure you don't want to attack right away, Master Kunzite?" Dori asked nervously. "The Queen may wonder why my mission is taking longer than usual."

"Tell her the guards got in your way," Kunzite said. "But as long as we get the senator, I don't think she'll mind how long it took."

The crowd around them suddenly began applauding, and the two clapped along with them to blend in. Kunzite watched intently as an older woman with short, dark hair walked up onstage and over to the podium.

Up on a nearby roof, Zoisite and Nephrite watched the senator make herself known. Their eyes scanned the crowd, looking for signs of Dori and Kunzite.

Down below, Jadeite was concealing himself in the shadows of an alleyway. He had already managed to find his brother in the crowd, and was now watching and waiting for him to make his move.

"Good evening, citizens of Tokyo!" the senator greeted. As she spoke, she waved her hand, showing off a large diamond ring on her finger; a diamond that looked almost identical to the ones the opera singer and the mummy wore…

~A Suivre~


	16. Search for the Princess Part 2

Here's chapter 16! Yeah... I've got no excuses this time. This chapter was incredibly difficult to write to the point where I just got lazy, so that's why it's out so late. I promsie to do my best to get the next chapter up on time next week! Anyway, enjoy this incredibly long and drawn out action scene of a chapter! Sailor Moon manga readers, see if you can recognize my inspiration for certain details in this chapter...

Hope you all enjoy! Be sure to leave a review and let me know what you think

* * *

Chapter 16: Search for the Princess Part 2

Off in another part of the city, streets were cut off by police cars and people were gathered into a massive crowd. At the end of the street was a large stage with a podium at the center and several microphones attached to it. A public speech was about to take place.

At the center of the crowd, two individuals masked themselves amongst the people, hiding in plain sight. A silver-haired man wore a casual shirt and tie with khaki pants, while the woman next to him wore a long green and yellow striped dress and a sun hat that masked most of her face. Of course, the reason she hid her face was to keep the numerous stitches that covered her visage out of sight.

"It's almost time," Kunzite said, noticing a pair of guards had walked up onstage.

"Are you sure you don't want to attack right away, Master Kunzite?" Dori asked nervously. "The Queen may wonder why my mission is taking longer than usual."

"Tell her the guards got in your way," Kunzite said. "But as long as we get the senator, I don't think she'll mind how long it took."

The crowd around them suddenly began applauding, and the two clapped along with them to blend in. Kunzite watched intently as an older woman with short, dark hair walked up onstage and over to the podium.

Up on a nearby roof, Zoisite and Nephrite watched the senator make herself known. Their eyes scanned the crowd, looking for signs of Dori and Kunzite.

Down below, Jadeite was concealing himself in the shadows of an alleyway. He had already managed to find his brother in the crowd, and was now watching and waiting for him to make his move.

"Good evening, citizens of Tokyo!" the senator greeted. As she spoke, she waved her hand, showing off a large diamond ring on her finger. The diamond looked almost identical to the ones worn by the opera singer and the Egyptian mummy priestess.

* * *

Luna sat on the edge of a roof, watching the Tokyo skyline, looking off into the distance at the radiant orange sunset. However, her main concern wasn't the solar beauty in front of her, but a couple of Sailor Soldiers who were running late.

"They told me they had finished their missions, and I told them to meet me here as soon as possible," Luna recapped to herself. "So what's taking so long?"

"BOO!"

Luna let out one of those high-pitched cat screams and leapt into the air. She nearly fell off the edge of the building, but luckily a pair of strong hands reached down and grabbed her. As she was pulled to safety, she realized that the culprit of her little scare was none other than Sailor Jupiter.

"Hey, kitty! Uh… sorry about that…" the brunette apologized.

Luna squirmed out of the girl's hands and landed on the ground. "What were you thinking Makoto?!"

"I thought I'd give you a little scare. That's all," Jupiter said, her voice trailing off a little.

"Well you almost made me fall off the edge!" Luna cried, clearly still shaken up. "Just because we always land on our feet doesn't mean we can survive a twenty-story fall!"

"Alright, calm down Luna," Sailor Mercury said, kneeling down next to the cat and petting her. "Makoto's joke may have gone too far, but still saved you, didn't she?"

Luna sighed. "I suppose she did. Thank you, Makoto." Before the brunette could respond, Luna looked around for the other two. "Did you two see Usagi and Rei on your way up here?"

"I was gonna ask if they were already here," Jupiter said.

"I thought they finished their mission at the same time we did?" Mercury asked.

SLAM!

Jupiter, Mercury and _Luna_ spun around to see what caused the loud noise. They were greeted by the sight of Sailor Moon clinging to the rooftop door, panting like a hot dog, and Sailor Mars walking past her with a completely calm expression.

"Never… taking… the stairs…. again…" Sailor Moon gasped.

"You know, we could have just jumped up here," Mars pointed out. "We are Sailor Soldiers, after all."

"But jumping that high is scaryyyy!" the blonde whined.

Luna walked over to the two with a disapproving look. "Mind explaining what took so long?"

Mars bowed apologetically to the cat. "Sorry, Luna. Someone insisted that we stop for ice cream…" she said, shooting a glance at Sailor Moon.

"That fight took a lot out of me!" Moon pouted. "I had to recharge my batteries."

"And immediately after, you got a stomach cramp…" Mars sighed.

"It was, um… from climbing the stairs!" Moon declared.

Mars crossed her arms. "You started cramping up before we even got to this building!"

The bun-headed girl searched her mind for another excuse. "Well… I… um…"

"Setting all that aside…" Luna interjected. "I brought you four here to congratulate you on your successful missions. Thanks to you, the Moon Princess will remain safe from the Dark Kingdom's clutches!"

"Not gonna lie, those freaks were some tough bastards!" Jupiter declared. "Looks like you two got some hefty battle scars," she said, gesturing to Sailor Moon's arm.

Moon looked down at the cut she had gotten from one of Hato's bird heads. "Oh yeah, I forgot I had this." She suddenly clutched her arm and got teary eyed. "I also forgot how much it hurts!"

"I guess eating enough sweets can make you forget pain," Mars commented.

"Hey! Cut it out, ReiRei!" Moon cried, repeatedly slapping the raven-haired girl's arm.

"Now Bun-Head, my arm is not your vegetables," Mars said, continuing her smug remarks.

"AHEM!" Luna coughed, stopping the two girls' banter. "Now then, do you four have anything to report from your encounters with the monsters?"

Mercury stepped forward. "Actually, I have something I feel needs to be addressed: why were these two candidates for the Moon Princess?" she asked. "I scanned the mummy with my visor and nothing unusual came up."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, the opera lady's chi didn't feel any different from a normal person's," Mars joined in.

"She sure looked like a princess though!" Moon said. "She was so pretty, her dress was so shiny, she had that beautiful diamond necklace…"

"Wait, did you say diamond necklace?" Mercury asked suddenly.

Sailor Moon raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, why?"

"The mummy's casket had a diamond engraved into it…" the blue-haired girl said.

"What are you getting at, Ami?" Mars asked.

"I think she's saying there's a connection," Jupiter said, turning to Luna and glaring down at her. "Are you not telling us something, kitty?"

Luna backed up a little. "Well, I mean… I can't…" Before she could continue, the crescent moon mark on her forehead began blinking. "Shoot, it's my boss! You four need to hide!"

"Hide? Why do we need to hide?" Sailor Moon asked.

"No time to explain! Just hide!" Luna exclaimed. Sailor Jupiter quickly grabbed her three friends and pulled them behind the doorway to the rooftop. Once they were out of sight, Luna summoned her communication bubble and her boss appeared before her. "What's the situation, sir?"

"Luna, we've got to act quickly!" the boss said frantically. "I've discovered a third candidate for the Moon Princess and the Dark Kingdom are already after her!"

Luna's eyes widened. "What? Are you serious?!"

"Her name is Senator Aki Fujiyama," the boss informed. "She's known for her great love for the people of Tokyo and always putting them first in her duties. Not to mention she wears a diamond wedding ring that bears a strong resemblance to the Silver Crystal."

The four Soldiers were trying their hardest to eavesdrop while hiding behind the doorway. "What are they saying?" Sailor Moon asked.

"I can't make everything out," Mars said. "But I think I just heard the boss say something about a crystal…"

"Do you think it could be the real Silver Crystal?" Luna asked her boss.

"We won't know for sure until we get a proper energy readout on her," he responded. "But until then, she must be protected. She should be giving a public speech at this very moment. Send the girls over there right away!"

Luna nodded. "Yes sir! Right away, sir!" She popped the communication bubble and turned around, only to find the four Soldiers towering over her.

"So what's this about a crystal I hear?" Jupiter sneered.

"What are you hiding from us, Luna?" Mars demanded.

"Please Luna, we just want you to tell us the truth," Mercury insisted.

"Guys, don't push her so hard," Moon said, trying to calm everyone down.

"I… t-there's no time for this right now!" Luna shouted. "The Dark Kingdom are after another potential candidate for the Moon Princess! You four need to get over there now!"

"Ugh! Another fight?!" Sailor Moon complained. "But I'm still sore from the one earlier!"

"Suck it up, Usagi!" Mars chastised. She began running across the roof and prepared to jump to the next one. "Let's go, everyone! We've got no time to waste!"

Sailor Mars leapt to the next rooftop, followed by Sailor Moon and Mercury. Jupiter was about to jump, but turned to Luna at the last second. "When this is over, you're telling us _everything_. Got that?" Without waiting for a reply, the brunette leapt across the gap between buildings and took off after her friends.

Luna watched the four Soldiers go, shaking her head in dismay. "What am I going to tell them…?"

* * *

Kunzite had been listening intently to Senator Fujiyama's speech. For the most part, it had been about taxes, relations with other politicians, and other political drivel that he didn't understand. However, when it came to her closing statements, his ears perked up and took in every word.

"And lastly, I understand that these are dark times for the city of Tokyo. Monsters are appearing every day, taking the lives of innocent people and causing immeasurable misery. But know that in these times, no matter how irreparable the damage seems, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe! The only thing that matters more to me than this city is each and every one of you! Not one person who stands before me today will be forsaken! We will overcome all of our troubles together!"

With those few sentences, the crowd went wild. People cheered and applauded for the woman as if she were a hero. Kunzite joined in on the clapping, partly because he wanted to blend in, but also because he was genuinely impressed by the speech. Just then, a thought clicked in the recesses of his mind. He knew it would be blasphemous to say it aloud, yet he dared to anyway.

"Each and every person in this city is important to her. Nobody will be forsaken," he said, repeating the senator's words. "She puts the people she governs before herself. This is truly a leader of integrity, unlike the Quee-"

Before he could finish, he was cut off by a loud snoring. Kunzite looked down and saw Dori leaning on his shoulder, appearing to have fallen asleep. Her eyes remained open, but he knew they couldn't exactly close, seeing as how they were buttons.

"Dori, wake up!" Kunzite said loudly.

The doll monster snorted before shaking her head and standing up straight. "Ugh… I think that lady's speech put me to sleep…"

"That's not important right now!" Kunzite declared. "The speech is over and the senator is about to leave. Grab her right now and let's bring her back to the Queen!"

"Oh, right! The mission!" Dori said quickly. She reached down and ripped off the striped dress she wore, revealing her more recognizable purple ballerina dress, and threw away her sun hat, exposing her shiny princess tiara.

The people around her were taken aback by the woman's sudden odd behavior and change of attire. Some even backed away after seeing that her 'skin' was covered in stitches. Now that she had some space around her, Dori went to work. Her braided red hair suddenly extended to great lengths and snaked up to the stage the senator stood on. The first thing she did was grab the two bodyguards with her hair, smash them together, and then toss them aside, rendering the senator unprotected. The two tentacle-like braids then snared Senator Fujiyama and lifted her into the air. At this point, everyone was in a complete panic. People scattered to get away from the doll monster that now had the senator in its clutches.

"Freeze!" a group of police officers shouted, running up to Dori and drawing their guns. "Release the senator and put your hands up!"

Not even flinching, Dori unwound one of her braids from the senator and used it to smack the entire group of police into a nearby building. She felt the senator trying to wiggle free, so she quickly wrapped her free braid back around her.

"Now then, Miss Senator Lady," Dori giggled. "I think it's time we took our leave. My Great Ruler would like to meet you…"

SLICE!

Dori was caught off guard when her braids were suddenly cut in half, causing her to drop Senator Fujiyama. Thankfully, she wasn't high off the ground and landed without too much harm. Still, the fall rendered her unconscious.

"Who did that?!" Dori screamed, looking around in all directions. Her eyes finally came to the top of a nearby building, where she saw four girls in sailor uniforms.

"You there!" Sailor Moon shouted as her tiara flew back into her hand. "Attacking the beloved Senator Fujiyama and trying to kidnap her is unforgivable!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for courage! I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

The four Sailor Soldiers leapt off the roof and dropped down to the pavement below, doing a superhero landing. The stood up and faced Dori head on. The monster, meanwhile, was mourning over her severed hair.

"You bitches!" Dori cried, tugging on her stumped braids. "Do you have any idea how long this'll take to grow out?!"

"Longer than the time you have left in this world!" Jupiter said.

"Fine! Then I guess I'll just have to give you all a haircut as well…" Dori raised her arm, causing the seam on her hand to split open slightly. From out of the seam came several black threads, which twisted and tangled until they straightened out into a long, black scythe that was bigger than Dori herself.

Sailor Moon's eyes widened. "S-Should we be concerned about that?"

Not giving the others a chance to respond, Dori lunged at the four Soldiers and swung her scythe horizontally, aiming to cut them all down in one fell swoop. Thankfully, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter managed to jump high and avoid it, while Moon ducked down in fear, allowing it to graze over her head.

"I'm gonna take off those lovely pigtails, and then your head!" Dori screamed, raising the scythe over a cornered Sailor Moon.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The Soldier of Wisdom spread her cold mist all around Dori, obscuring her vision and eliminating Sailor Moon from her sight. Sailor Mars quickly dashed in and grabbed Moon, pulling her out of the mist and away from Dori's scythe.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Remembering their combo attack from the museum, Jupiter shot a bolt of lightning at the mist. The electricity danced across the microscopic water droplets and trapped Dori inside the shocking cloud of vapor. The doll monster screamed in pain as her velvety skin was fried by the electricity. Eventually, the lightning dispersed from the mist and Dori's screams faded, leaving the battlefield in silence.

"Did we get her?" Mars asked.

"Uh, ReiRei?" Moon said, tapping the girl's shoulder. "You can put me down now…" Mars blushed, realizing she was still holding her blonde friend bridal style, and quickly dropped her to the ground.

Sailor Jupiter let out a proud huff. "Huh, well that was easy…"

Suddenly, Dori's scythe came flying from out of the mist, spinning vertically like a flying saw blade. Jupiter leapt back as the scythe stabbed into the ground where she had been, nearly skewering the Soldier of Courage. Dori herself emerged from the mist and pulled her scythe from the ground.

"You Sailor Soldiers really are an arrogant bunch!" Dori sneered. She raised her free hand conjured up a second scythe, then proceeded to go after Jupiter once again. She lifted both scythes over her and swung them down at the brunette soldier, but her target managed to dodge once again.

"You'll never catch me lugging those things around!" Jupiter remarked. Unfortunately, right as she finished her sentence, she felt one of Dori's braids wrap around her torso.

Now that her prey was trapped, Dori crossed the scythes over her chest and prepared to take Jupiter's head off in a scissor swipe. She swung the two weapons with all her might, the blades perfectly in line with Jupiter's neck. Just when it looked like the brunette's head was about to roll, she brought her hands up and caught the long handles of the scythes, preventing them from advancing any further. Jupiter held the weapons away from her neck, feeling the resistance as Dori desperately tried to decapitate her.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Sparks flew from the lightning rod on Jupiter's tiara, sending bolts of lightning crawling across her body and striking into Dori's body, the resulting shock causing the doll monster to let go of her scythes. Jupiter quickly tossed the two weapons aside and lunged at Dori, winding up a fist and smashing it into the monster's stomach. She felt her knuckles dig into the velvety skin, but the impact felt more like punching a pillow. Jupiter looked up in surprise when she heard Dori laughing, and before she could react, she felt the monster's foot crash into her chest, knocking her across the pavement and onto her back.

"You honestly think a punch an hurt me?" Dori boasted. "My insides are pure cotton. I feel no pain when it comes to physical combat!"

"So you're literally a doll?" Jupiter grunted, clutching her chest. "Great… I'm getting my ass kicked by a child's play thing…" She tried to stand up, but was pushed back into the ground by Dori's foot.

"I'll teach you to keep that pretty mouth shut!" the doll monster snarled. She used one of her braids to reel in one of her scythes and raised it over Jupiter, preparing to slay the Soldier once and for all.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Dori's eyes widened as she heard Sailor Moon call out her attack, knowing what was coming for her. The doll monster quickly ducked to the side, feeling the tiara graze her side and slice into one of her stitches. A long piece of thread now dangled from her side and her seam spread open slightly. She turned to Sailor Moon and, despite her expressionless button eyes, gave her a look that screamed of rage.

"You… how dare you damage my flawless body?!" Without another word, Dori ran at Sailor Moon and began swinging her scythe wildly, trying to cut the blonde soldier to ribbons. Sailor Moon did her usual schtick of stumbling around clumsily and somehow managing to avoid the monster's deadly weapon.

Meanwhile, Sailor Jupiter struggled to her feet, still holding onto her pained torso. "Dammit… for a doll she sure packs one helluva kick…" she winced. As the brunette watched Dori chase Sailor Moon around, her eyes fell upon the stitch that had been severed by Moon's tiara. The thread that now dangled from it waved around vulnerably as Dori chased her friend. "Time to find out what she's really made of." Jupiter brought her communicator up to her wrist and whispered into it. "Mercury, Mars, listen up! I have a plan, but I'll need you to follow what I say!"

"This better be good…" Mars groaned.

"Go ahead, Jupiter!" Mercury encouraged.

Jupiter laid out her plan. "Mars, get Dori away from Sailor Moon. Mercury, once that's done, throw up a mist. I'll take care of the rest from there."

"I hope you know what you're doing!" Mars said before jumping in to help Sailor Moon.

Dori took several more swings at the Soldier of Justice, who sucked in her stomach and backed up on her tiptoes before finally stumbling and falling onto her butt. "I've got you now!" Dori screamed, holding her scythe above her head.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Mars' fireball came flying in and nearly incinerated Dori, but the doll monster jumped back just in time. "Why you…" she snarled.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Before Dori could say anything else, she was surrounded by another freezing cold mist, effectively stripping her of her sight. Her eyes darted in all directions, trying to make sure no one snuck up on her. Her grip tightened on her scythe, ready to disembowel any Sailor Soldier that came near her. Suddenly, she felt a strange tugging sensation in her side. She looked down and saw the thread from her open seam was now longer, and the end of the thread was held by Sailor Jupiter.

"I used to play with dolls you know," Jupiter said. "Unfortunately, they always came apart when I pulled on them too hard…"

With one mighty tug, Sailor Jupiter pulled on Dori's thread and completely undid every stitch that covered her body. The doll monster spun like a tornado as she was effectively ripped apart by the Soldier of Courage. She let out a terrified scream, feeling her body go numb and motionless, before she finally collapsed into a pile of fabric and cotton.

"This reminds me of the day after my sixth Christmas," Jupiter said, bundling up the excess thread. "Poor Auntie Anzu wasted her money…"

"Well… that was brutal…" Mars said to herself, shocked by what had just played out. "Sometimes I wonder if you get off on killing our enemies."

Jupiter grinned at her. "Oh, indefinitely…" Mars cringed a little, regretting what she had said.

Sailor Moon ran up to Jupiter and pulled her into a hug. "That was awesome Mako!" she squealed. "For a moment there I thought I was gonna be a Sailor Shish Kabob!"

"Thanks… no problem…" Jupiter gasped as she was hugged tightly by the blonde girl. "Ya know… for a shorty, you've got quite a squeeze…"

"SAILOR JUPITER!"

The four girls whirled around at the sound of Dori's screeching voice. They watched in horror as the pile of cotton that was once the doll monster grew into a monstrous form. The material extended out into four tendrils and one long neck that ended in a ghastly head with two button eyes. In a matter of seconds, the Sailor Soldiers were now face-to-face with a Cotton Kraken.

"I can not be beaten!" Dori screamed. "I WILL NEVER BE BEATEN!"

Sailor Moon, Mercury and Jupiter all backed up, preparing to engage this new threat, but Mars just walked casually up to the cotton kraken and flicked a tiny fireball at it. The flame landed on one of Dori's tendrils and quickly spread across her now extremely flammable body in a matter of seconds. Despite her new hulking form, Dori let out a final agonized scream as she was swiftly extinguished by Mars' flame. All that was left now was a smoking pile of ashes.

"Psh, show off…" Jupiter grumbled.

Mars turned around and flipped her hair over her shoulder, smiling triumphantly. "It's all in the wrist," she said in a cocky tone, clearly trying to get a rise out of the brunette.

"That was so cool, Rei!" Sailor Moon beamed.

"I must admit, that was impressive Mars," Mercury complimented. "For a moment there, I thought we were in for a much tougher battle."

"Well, let's just be glad it's all over," Mars said. "We should probably go make sure the senator is okay."

"Good idea! She might have been hurt," Mercury said.

The four began making their way over to the senator, who was just waking up after her fall knocked her out. She rubbed her head and blinked, her vision slowly returning. The first thing she noticed were four young girls in sailor uniforms approaching her. "The Sailor Soldiers…" she said to herself.

Sailor Moon approached her. "Senator Fujiyama, are you alri-"

BOOM!

A ball of black energy suddenly landed between Sailor Moon and the senator, knocking them both away from each other. The other three soldiers ran up to Moon and helped her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" Mars asked.

Jupiter began looking around. "What was that?!"

In a flash, a man with silver hair wearing a white uniform with black linings landed in front of them. A silver gem sat atop his forehead.

"Kunzite!" Sailor Moon gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to do what my monster couldn't," he said. "I'm bringing Senator Fujiyama back to the Dark Kingdom!"

"Like hell you are!" Jupiter said, cracking her knuckles.

"The odds are against you, Kunzite!" Mercury stated. "Four of us against one of you!"

Kunzite was about to respond, but a voice cut him off. "Not quite right, Sailor Mercury!" Just then, Nephrite and Zoisite dropped down from above and landed on either side of Kunzite. "It's three against four!" the blonde man sneered.

"What are you two doing here?!" Kunzite demanded.

"We were on a little date and saw your monster's excursion with the Sailor Soldiers," Nephrite said. "Once it failed, we felt it would be fun to step in and do the job ourselves. Lo and behold, you showed up. Just our luck!"

"Well, go back to your date!" The Knight of Shadows ordered. "I can handle this myself!"

"I highly doubt that, dear brother!" Jadeite said, having appeared from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Jadeite?!" Kunzite shouted in surprise.

"Get lost!" Nephrite growled. "A weakling like you will only get in our way!"

Jadeite just giggled. "If that's the case, then I'll just take on the weakest of the Soldiers; Sailor Mars!"

The raven-haired girl grit her teeth in anger. "You dare call me weak…"

"Mars, calm down," Sailor Moon said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, but Mars shook it off.

"Back off, Bun-Head! He's mine!" Mars said defiantly.

A look of worry grew on Moon's face. "But don't you remember what happened last time?"

"This time will be different…" Mars assured.

Nephrite glared at Sailor Mercury and pointed at her. "You will be my opponent! I will make you pay for scarring me!"

Mercury was about to say something, but Jupiter stepped in. "No way, tough guy! Fight me instead! Unless you're-"

Mercury grabbed the tall girl's arm. "I'll be fine, Jupiter. You take Zoisite. He looks like he wants to fight you."

"But… Ami-" Jupiter began, before she was interrupted again.

"Remember what I said? I'm not defenseless," the blue-haired girl said, smiling up at her friend.

Jupiter blushed a little at the girl's confidence, then smiled and nodded. "Alright. Go get him, Big Blue!" The Soldier of Thunder the turned to Zoisite. "You hear that, blondie? You're all mine!"

Zoisite clenched his fist. "I'll make sure you suffer for nearly killing my Nephrite!"

Finally, Kunzite unsheathed his sword and stared at the last remaining Sailor Soldier. "Sailor Moon, I will not fall to you this time! I will bring your head back to Queen Metalia and restore my good name to her!"

The blonde soldier placed a hand on her hip and stabbed a finger at Kunzite. "B-Bring it on, t-tough guy!" she stuttered, trying her best to look tough.

With all the battle arrangements settled, the eight combatants got into a standoff. They stared each other down, waiting for the right moment to make a move. Kunzite tilted his sword so it was perfectly in line with Sailor Moon's neck. Jadeite formed a Blood Blade around both of his hands. Zoisite summoned a pair of Brimstone Shards into his grasp. Nephrite pulled a Rose Staff out from his caped and twirled it in the air. Sailor Moon took off her tiara, preparing it for her Boomerang attack. Sailor Mars ignited a fireball in both of her hands, gripping them like baseballs. Sailor Jupiter activated the lightning rod on her tiara, electricity already dancing across it. Sailor Mercury formed her signature water spirals in her hands, ready to throw up a mist. It was Pretty Soldiers versus Dark Knights; Moon versus Kunzite; Mars versus Zoisite; Jupiter versus Zoisite; Mercury versus Nephrite.

ZOOM!

The combatants all dove at each other, locking into a life-or-death match that would only end with one of them walking away.

* * *

Kunzite leapt into the air, holding his sword over his head and bringing it down as he descended on Sailor Moon. The blonde heroine jumped back to avoid the Dark Knight's weapon and quickly drew energy into her tiara.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon let her tiara fly, sending it slicing through the air and towards Kunzite's head. At the last second, however, the man tilted his head to the side and avoided being decapitated. He raised his sword, preparing to engage Sailor Moon again, but paused when he saw the girl smiling. He realized what she was up to and held his sword behind his back, the blade protecting him from the rebounding tiara boomerang. The tiara clanged against the sword's blade, but bounced off of it with ease. Sailor Moon's eyes went wide, shocked that Kunzite had anticipated her attack.

"SHADOW BALL!"

With his free hand, Kunzite threw a volley of dark energy balls at Sailor Moon. Now defenseless, the Soldier of Justice went on a sprint to avoid be disintegrated by the projectiles. Kunzite watched her carefully, and eventually saw an opening. Seeing where she was going to step next, the silver-haired man threw a Shadow Ball at her feet and sent her flying through the air. Moon let out a short cry as she landed hard on the ground, feeling pain shoot through her body.

"SHADOW BALL!"

Forming another energy ball, Kunzite hurled his attack at the fallen Sailor Soldier, making sure his aim was dead-on. Sailor Moon froze as she saw the attack flying towards her, but a wave of relief washed over her when she felt her tiara reform on her forehead. Without a second thought, she took it off again and wound up her arm.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The blonde heroine threw the golden disk at Kunzite's incoming Shadow Ball, the sharp weapon cutting right through the dark energy and continuing on it's path towards Kunzite. The Knight of Shadows barely had enough time to sidestep the attack as his cape received a deep tear from the tiara. Angered from the near-death experience, Kunzite lunged at Sailor Moon, attempting to cut her down the middle once again. Luckily, Moon's tiara flew back into her hands, and she quickly raised it up and used it's sharp edge to block the incoming sword. Kunzite was shocked at how the tiny piece of jewelry was holding off his mighty blade. So shocked, that he didn't notice Sailor Moon winding up her leg.

"SAILOR MOON KICK!"

Pulling a dirty move, Sailor Moon sent her foot flying into the larger man's crotch, hoping to hit his weak spot. As expected, Kunzite recoiled in agony and felt his legs buckle from the overwhelming pain. Sailor Moon grinned, proud of her tactics, and got ready to throw her tiara once again, hoping to finish the job this time. She stopped however, when she heard Kunzite chuckling.

"Is that… your best move?" he asked sarcastically. "How dishonorable of you… call yourself a soldier!" The pure anger in Kunzite's eyes was all too clear.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN!"

Kunzite aimed his pointer finger at Sailor Moon, and from the tip of it a long black chain flew forth and wrapped around Sailor Moon, binding her arms to her torso and causing her to drop her tiara. Kunzite then yanked on the chain, dragging the girl towards him and bringing her within inches of his face. He took pleasure in the fear her saw in her eyes, then proceeded to knock her aside with a brutal backhanded slap that snapped her jaw to the left. Sailor Moon landed hard, unable to get to her feet or rub her now sore cheek due to her arms being trussed. She looked up upon hearing Kunzite laughing again, panicking when she saw another black energy ball hovering over his palm.

"SHADOW BALL!"

Thinking fast, Sailor Moon comically rolled out of the way of the projectile. She was dizzy within seconds, but out of harm's way. When she saw Kunzite charging up another attack, however, her survival instincts kicked in and she flipped onto her feet, taking off into another flighty sprint, fleeing from the torrent of energy attacks Kunzite threw at her. To the Knight of Shadows, this was all just fun and games now. The sight of Sailor Moon running around all tied up brought him amusement, and he decided to play this little cat-and-mouse game for awhile before finishing her off.

* * *

Mars relentlessly attacked Jadeite, her fists and feet flying like bullets as she tried to score a blow on the Knight of Blood, anger and hatred from their last battle fueling her every move. Of course, Jadeite dodged each one of these snake-like strikes with ease, simply leaning to the right, stepping to the left, or backing up slightly. Once Mars got close enough, he lashed out with one of his Blood Blades and nearly eviscerated her. Thankfully, Mars got out of the way just in time, but her sailor uniform was still torn open by the blade.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The Soldier of Fire chucked one of her blazing orbs at Jadeite's face, but the attack was easily knocked away by his Blood Blade.

"My my, you're fighting so fiercely today, Sailor Mars," Jadeite scoffed.

Mars narrowed her eyes. "I won't make the same mistakes I did last time!"

Jadeite just laughed. "The same mistakes… my dear, you're already making new ones!"

Mars had had enough. She sprang towards Jadeite and swung a knife-hand at his ribs, aiming for a pressure point. The blonde man simply sidestepped and watched Mars stumble past him, following up with a solid kick to her side. The kick rattled her insides and sent her rolling across the pavement, giving Jadeite the opening he had been waiting for.

"FLYING BLOOD STAR!"

The crimson shuriken streaked towards Sailor Mars, tilted vertically so it would slice her directly in half. Deciding to risk the pain, Mars clapped her hands together and caught the shuriken between them, holding the spinning saw-like weapon inches from her body. Then, using all of her strength, she spun around and redirected the shuriken back at Jadeite. As the weapon soared back towards its owner, Mars formed another fireball in her hand.

"FIRE SOUL!"

She threw the fireball at the shuriken, causing the two attacks to merge into one. Jadeite saw his own attack turned against him and quickly summoned a Blood Blade, blocking the flaming shuriken and barely managing the push it away. The weapon continued on its path until it sliced into the stage that Senator Fujiyama once stood on, bringing the entire structure down.

Jadeite's anger began to escalate. Having his own attack used against him was humiliating and insulting. Forming a new strategy, he stabbed his Blood Blade into the ground and sliced it towards Sailor Mars, throwing dust and rubble into the girl's eyes. Mars was temporarily blinded, allowing Jadeite to rush her and score several punches to her face and torso. He dug his left fist into the girl's stomach, causing her to spit up a mouthful of blood, before raising his right hand and forming a Blood Blade. He swung the attack towards Mars' neck, intending to seer her head, but Mars fought through the pain and grabbed his wrist, stopping his advances. Thinking fast, she raised her free hand to his chest.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The close range attack gave Jadeite no time to dodge, and the Dark Knight was thrown back by the explosion of fire that resulted. Mars clutched her stomach, wiping the blood from her mouth and trying desperately to catch her breath. Meanwhile, Jadeite got back to his feet and simply dusted off his chest, which was blackened from the fire.

"Well done. You actually managed to give me a little scratch," Jadeite mocked. "But wounds like this heal easily…"

The blonde man suddenly clenched his fist and drew his arm back. Before Mars could react, the flaming blood shuriken she created earlier bursted out of the wrecked stage and flew towards her, slicing into the same spot on her ribs that Jadeite had injured in their last fight. Mars immediately dropped to her knees and pressed her hands to the opened wound in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. The flaming shuriken had already cauterized the gash, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Scars don't…" Jadeite hissed, grinning devilishly at the Soldier of Passion.

* * *

Zoisite brought his arms down towards Sailor Jupiter, a Brimstone Shard in either hand. Of course, Jupiter easily caught the attacks and grabbed the shards, crushing and shattering them with a simple squeeze.

"Why you…" Zoisite said, tossing the remains of his Brimstone Shards to the ground.

"EARTHEN TRAP!"

The Knight of Brimstone focused his power on the ground beneath Sailor Jupiter, causing a crack to open up under her feet. He quickly closed the cracks, effectively clamping her feet and trapping her where she stood.

"Well, guess I'm not going anywhere," Jupiter said, rolling her eyes. Then, without any effort whatsoever, the brunette soldier pulled her feet from the cracks and began moving towards Zoisite again.

"I-Impossible!" Zoisite cried. "Nobody can resist my Earthen Trap!"

Jupiter smirked. "Really? Because it felt just like a little kid hugging my feet."

Zoisite grit his teeth in anger and backflipped a good distance away from Jupiter. He then raise a hand over his head and summoned a large golden boulder.

"BRIMSTONE HAMMER!"

The Dark Knight threw his attack at the Soldier of Courage, certain that he would crush the pesky girl this time. Jupiter was surprised by the size of the scrawny man's attack, but felt no fear. She raised her hand up to her tiara's lightning rod and transferred electricity to her fingertips.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

A massive bolt of lightning shot out of the tall girl's fingers and struck the giant brimstone rock, splitting it apart instantly and turning it into a pile of smaller rocks. Zoisite was in shock.

"What… how… there's no way you're this strong!" Zoisite screamed.

"Maybe I'm strong… or maybe you're just incredibly weak," Jupiter mocked.

The Knight of Brimstone clenched his fist. "I should kill you where you stand," he said quietly, trying to suppress his anger.

"I think we've already established that you can't touch me," Jupiter said confidently.

Zoisite's enraged scowl slowly turned into a small smile. "Don't be so cocky, Sailor Jupiter," he hissed. The blonde man outstretched his arms towards the Soldier of Thunder.

"SULFUR MIST!"

An opaque yellow cloud sprayed out of Zoisite's palms and drifted towards Sailor Jupiter, engulfing her head in seconds. The tall girl felt nothing at first, unsure if this was even an attack. Then she inhaled, and immediately felt her nose, mouth, throat and chest begin to burn. She dropped to her knees and coughed, trying to get some fresh air, but Zoisite sprayed another Sulfur Mist at her, causing her to breathe in more of the toxic fumes. Jupiter found it difficult to breathe now. Her lungs felt like they were made of iron and her throat was on fire. Her eyes began to water and she even felt herself cough up a small amount of blood.

"What… the hell… is this?!" Jupiter said weakly before coughing some more.

Zoisite laughed and walked over to the choking Soldier. "Just a little trick I only pull out when absolutely necessary," he giggled before stomping his heel into Jupiter's ribs. "I've always hated poisoning my opponents. It seems so uncivilized. But you gave me no choice, Sailor Jupiter!" Grabbed the brunette by her ponytail and lifted her up off the ground, only to immediately punch her in the face and knock her back to the ground.

"BRIMSTONE HAMMER!"

The Dark Knight formed another golden boulder directly over Jupiter and dropped it on her. Jupiter quickly threw up her arms and caught the attack, using all the muscle she had in her arms to hold it back. Something like this would usually be easy to fend off, but inhaling the toxic sulfur must have weakened her.

"Give up! I'm going to crush you eventually!" Zoisite said, spraying another Sulfur Mist at Jupiter.

Upon inhaling the poisonous cloud, Jupiter felt her elbows buckle and the brimstone boulder get closer to flattening her. Her eyes were now blurry with tears and her breathing had become labored, making it even more difficult to hold off the attack.

"We'll…. see…" Jupiter hissed defiantly.

* * *

Nephrite dashed towards Sailor Mercury, twirling his Rose Staff and aiming the cut her up with its thorns. The Soldier of Wisdom stayed on her toes, dodging each one the brunette man's strikes. She felt the staff whizz past her and the breeze it created each time. She could tell the sharp thorns were only centimeters from her body. Nephrite then raised his staff and swung it down, hoping to skewer Mercury with its pointed tip. Of course, Mercury dodged that one too, and the staff's tip became stuck in the ground.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The icy mist surrounded Nephrite in a flash, causing him to lose sight of his target. The Knight of Black Roses quickly perked up his senses, trying to make sure the blue-haired soldier didn't sneak up on him. Of course, he wasn't worried about her doing damage to him. She had already proven to him to be nothing more than a frail little girl!

BAM!"

As if in response to his thoughts, Nephrite felt a jolt in his back as Sailor Mercury kicked him between his shoulder blades. The Soldier of Water had managed to sneak around and catch Nephrite by surprise. Unfortunately, the man's scarlet armor protected him from too much damage, and the kick did little more than to throw him off balance. Nephrite spun around and stabbed his Rose Staff right where Mercury just was, but she was already gone and out of sight once again. Angered, Nephrite raised his hand over his shoulder.

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

Hundreds of explosive rose petals spread out around Nephrite. But before they got too far, Mercury's mist extinguished their dark energy and they drifted the the ground like harmless feathers. Despite his attack not working, he gained new confidence when he saw Mercury's silhouette approaching him through the mist. Nephrite raised his staff and stabbed it toward the oncoming Sailor Soldier, but was shocked when the tiny girl ducked underneath the staff's tip and rammed her shoulder into his stomach. She followed this up with a sweeping low kick under his legs, knocking him to the ground. Nephrite was now angrier than ever and got to his feet, shoving his palm against Mercury's chest.

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

This time, the mist had no time to extinguish the petals' dark energy. As soon as they materialized out of Nephrite's hand, they exploded against Mercury's body. The close range impact threw both of them out of the mist, restoring Nephrite's vision. Mercury struggled to her feet, shaken up by the force of the Dark Knight's attack. She quickly formed two more water spirals in her hands.

"MERCURY AQUA-"

Before she could finish, a pair of black roses streaked past her and sliced into both of her hands, destroying the water spirals and cutting her wrists. Mercury clutched her fresh wounds and glared at Nephrite, who was arrogantly twirling his Rose Staff with a smug grin on his face.

"As if I'd let you do that again!" Nephrite sneered. He then lunged at Sailor Mercury and began attacking with his staff once again, this time landing several strikes and inflicting numerous cuts on her body.

* * *

Sailor Moon continued to run around aimlessly, still bound by Kunzite's Nightmare Chain and still clumsily avoiding a seemingly endless barrage of Shadow Balls. By now, however, Kunzite had had enough of playing around. He threw a Shadow Ball at her feet and knocked her to the ground, finally leaving her vulnerable. The silver-haired man leapt into the air and raised his sword, certain that this time he would be able to separate her head from her body. Sailor Moon looked around for a way to defend herself, and her eyes settled on her tiara which was lying only a few feet from her. Thinking on her feet, quite literally, she put her foot under the tiara and kicked it up at Kunzite.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The tiara transformed into a golden disk in midair, flying towards Kunzite and nearly reaching his head. But at the last second, he veered to one side, only letting the tiara to slice off a few strands of silver hair. The attack still threw him off course and saved Sailor Moon's neck, allowing her tiara to return to her forehead.

"Despite your faults, you truly are a warrior, Sailor Moon," Kunzite said.

"Why, thank you very much!" Moon responded with sarcasm.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN!"

This time, Kunzite snared Sailor Moon's legs with his chains, effectively binding all of her limbs. "But admiration will not prevent me from killing you!" he shouted.

The Knight of Shadows stood over Sailor Moon, raising his sword high over his head, aiming to finish their fight once and for all. Sailor Moon closed her eyes, bracing herself for a swift and painful end.

CLANG!

When the blonde soldier opened her eyes, her head was will intact, and Kunzite's sword was being held off by an unmistakable black cane.

"Tuxedo Mask!" she cried with joy.

"Attempting to slay a girl while she's tied up?" the tuxedo-clad man said. "You have no respect for women or your opponents! You call yourself a knight when you lack any chivalry!"

Kunzite backed up, gripping his sword tightly. "What I may lack in chivalry I make up for in strategy! Something you clearly don't have, Tuxedo Mask!"

Kunzite swung his sword at his new opponent, only to have it blocked once again by the man's cane. He found it incredible that something that seemed so mundane could be so durable. The two men began clashing their weapons in a medieval-style sword fight. At one point, Kunzite knocked Tuxedo Mask's cane into the air, rendering him defenseless. He quickly went for the kill and swung at the man's torso. Before he could, however, Tuxedo Mask jumped into the air and avoided the blade, catching his cane as it came back down.

"Damn you!" Kunzite shouted.

Tuxedo Mask raised his cane and dropped back to the ground, hoping to score a blow on Kunzite as he came down. As luck would have it, the Dark Knight blocked the cane as it was centimeters from his head.

"You're skilled, Tuxedo Mask, but skill pales in comparison to my experience," Kunzite said arrogantly. "I've faced thousands of opponents in my lifetime, and your technique is nothing I haven't seen before!"

Tuxedo Mask held his cane tightly, trying to push through Kunzite's guard. "Mock me all you want… I'm not giving up anytime soon!"

As their duel raged on, Sailor Moon struggled against the steel bonds. "I have to get out of these chains," she thought, flexing her muscles as hard as she could. "Tuxedo Mask can't beat him alone!"

* * *

Sailor Mars was being pushed back as Jadeite threw a flurry of punches at her face. She was forced to block the punches with one hand while she held onto her injured side with the other. At one point, she managed to catch Jadeite's fist, but it was short lived as the blonde man buried his knee into the wound on her side. Mars cried out in pain as she stumbled backwards, only to receive a punch to the face the knocked her across the pavement. Jadeite laughed as he watched the Soldier of Passion push herself to her feet.

"You should learn your place and stay on the ground, Sailor Mars!" Jadeite snickered.

"S-Shut… shut up!" Mars spat, forming a fireball in her hand.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The blazing sphere sailed towards Jadeite, but it failed to connect as the Dark Knight stepped to the left, avoiding his incineration.

Mars grit her teeth. "Dammit… if only he'd stay still!"

Jadeite formed a Blood Blade around his hand and glared at Mars. "It's over," he said simply.

The Knight of Blood zoomed towards Mars and pulled his arm back, preparing to plunge the crimson blade into Mars' stomach. There was no escape for the raven-haired girl this time. As the blade shot forward, aiming for her stomach, Mars felt it connect with her… but she didn't feel it go in.

Jadeite appeared confused as well. Why wasn't his blade advancing any further? Just then, there was a bright red glow and the two looked down. Jadeite's Blood Blade had been blocked by the red pendant at the hem of her sailor uniform's bodice. The pendant was now glowing brightly, causing Jadeite to back up and shield his eyes from the blinding light it emitted. Mars, however, was unaffected by the light. In fact, it felt warm and comforting, almost like she was sitting in front of a fire. She reached down and unhooked the pendant from her bodice, holding it up and staring deeply into its light. Suddenly, something clicked in the back of her mind, and she knew what to do.

"PHANTOM LAVALIERE!"

She threw the pendant at Jadeite, watching as it caught fire in midair. The flaming pendant stuck to Jadeite's chest, but the fire didn't spread to his body. The Knight of Blood suddenly felt himself lose all control of his limbs. He could not move, not even so much as look up at Sailor Mars.

"What… did you… do to me?" he demanded. "What… is this new power?!"

Sailor Mars smirked at him. "It's not new. I just forgot how to do it until now."

"Y-You… think you're being… FUNNY?!" Jadeite hissed, barely able to form words from his paralysis.

"It's hilarious," Mars said, igniting a fireball in her hand.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The raven-haired girl chucked the fireball at Jadeite, knowing he couldn't dodge it this time. Sure enough, the attack hit home and sent Jadeite up in flames, forcing a scream of agony out of his lungs. When it was finally over, the blonde man collapsed to his hands and knees, his breath wheezing, his skin covered in charred patches, and his clothes nearly burned away. Sailor Mars smiled down at him in satisfaction, feeling the pendant reform on her uniform.

* * *

Jupiter summoned every last ounce of strength into her arms to hold off the crushing Brimstone Hammer. Zoisite was clearly enjoying himself, as she could hear the feminine man giggling at the sight of her struggling. He blew another Sulfur Mist into her face just for the fun of it, causing Jupiter's arms to give out even more. The boulder was now just a few inches short of grinding her to a bloody paste. Deciding to risk burning out her strength, Jupiter activated her lightning rod.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

With a loud crash, a bolt of lightning shot out of the lightning rod and shattered the Brimstone Hammer, finally freeing Jupiter and allowing her to stand back up. Her lungs still ached and burned from the sulfur, but at least she could fight again. The brunette rushed Zoisite, swinging her fists at his face, but all she felt them hit was empty air. How was he dodging her? Was it because she was weakened from her struggle with the Brimstone Hammer? Was her vision still hazed from the Sulfur Mist? Whatever the explanation, it didn't change the fact the Jupiter couldn't land a single blow on this guy.

THWACK!

Zoisite's foot came up and smashed into Jupiter face, sending her sprawling backwards and nearly to the ground. Luckily, she managed to stay on her feet.

"Face it Jupiter; you're all brawn and no brains," Zoisite said impishly. "I understand it must be a blow to your pride, but you've been met with a power you can't overcome. Just accept it and give in!"

Zoisite raised both hands, allowing him to unleash a cloud of sulfur mist that engulfed Sailor Jupiter's entire body. This time, there was no escaping the toxic fumes. Jupiter covered her nose and mouth, holding her breath and trying not to let the chemicals enter her body. Despite this, she had to breath eventually, and it ended up being the most painful breath she'd ever taken. It felt like literal fire had just gone up her nose.

"Can't breathe… nose burns… eyes burn…" Jupiter thought, recounting every painful detail to herself. "Not to mention… it stinks!"

With that last thought in mind, she suddenly felt a warm sensation around her waist area. Through her watery eyes, she could see a pink light wrap around her sailor uniform just above her skirt. When the light faded, she was now wearing a pink chain belt with a sphere-shaped perfume bottle attached to it. Jupiter was now ignoring the burning in her lungs, instead feeling compelled to use the perfume bottle. Upon touching it, a flurry of delicate flower petals flew out of the bottle and fluttered around Jupiter like fairies. In an instant, the Sulfur Mist that surrounded her dispersed.

"What?!" Zoisite cried. "What have you done?!"

Jupiter felt something in the recesses of her mind come back to her, as if she were remembering something from a long time ago. She smiled, knowing exactly what her next move was.

"FLOWER HURRICANE!"

She thrust her arm in Zoisite's direction, sending a barrage of flower petals from the perfume bottle sailing towards him. As soon as the petals surrounded him, Zoisite felt as if he was being blown away by the winds of a violent storm, stronger than anything he had felt in the Arctic. He tried to push against the winds, but they were too strong, and he was thrown high into the air and slammed against the brick wall of a tall building.

"Taste the power of flowers, you son of a bitch," Jupiter said smugly. The flower petals that had conducted her hurricane attack were sucked back into the perfume bottle. She glanced down at the new accessory and admired it. "Quite the fashionable attack, if I do say so myself!"

* * *

Nephrite swung his Rose Staff like a madman, never giving Sailor Mercury a second to breathe. She dodged each strike to the best of her abilities, but still received several scratches here and there from the weapon's sharp thorns. She realized that she needed to throw up another mist and fast, otherwise she would never be able to escape these attacks.

"MERCURY AQUA MI-"

Unfortunately, in the moment she conjured up her water spirals, she also let her guard down. Nephrite began by smacking the Rose Staff into her hands, splashing away the water spirals. He then swept a leg under her feet, throwing her off balance. As she fell to the ground, Nephrite raised his staff and swung it down, smashing it into Mercury's back and planting into the ground so hard it left a crack in the asphalt. Mercury felt all the air get squeezed from her lungs and blood trickle out of the corner of her mouth. However, Nephrite wasn't done yet.

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

The Dark Knight let loose another barrage of explosive petals, sending Mercury flying across the street like a rag doll. She came crashing down hard on the pavement, desperately hoping she didn't break anything. Nephrite, pleased with his work, lined up his staff's tip with Sailor Mercury's heart.

"Your time is up, weakling soldier," Nephrite snarled. With that, he charged at Sailor Mercury, ready to impale her on the end of his staff.

Mercury pushed herself up on her elbows, her eyes going wide at the sigh of Nephrite approaching her. "No… I can't die," she thought to herself. "I need to show Makoto… I need to show everyone… that I'm not defenseless!"

Suddenly, a new memory popped into the front of Mercury's mind, compelling her to raise a hand in front of herself defensively.

"MERCURY RIPPLE BARRIER!"

From the middle of Mercury's palm, a transparent shield materialized outward like ripples from a splash. Nephrite thrust his Rose Staff forward, only to be stopped dead in his tracks by the sudden appearance of the shield.

"Where did this come from?" Nephrite demanded. He tried to break through the shield, but to no avail. "You think this will hold me off forever? You're nothing but a weak little girl!"

"And you overestimate yourself!" Mercury shot back.

The Ripple Barrier suddenly rebounded like a trampoline, knocking Nephrite away. Mercury stood up and dispersed the barrier, dusting off her shoulder confidently.

* * *

Kunzite and Tuxedo Mask had their weapons locked, pushing against each other in a test of strength and stamina. Sailor Moon looked on helplessly, unable to assist her hero due to her legs now being bound. She watched with panic as Kunzite began to push Tuxedo Mask back, and it looked as if he was going to win the struggle.

"FIRE SOUL!"

One of Mars' fireballs flew between the two men, forcing them to separate. "Honestly, you boys are always trying to one-up each other," the raven-haired girl sneered.

Meanwhile, Sailor Jupiter knelt down next to Sailor Moon and pulled the Nightmare Chains apart, breaking them with ease.

"Man, I wish I was as strong as you, Mako!" Moon said.

"Do push-ups and sit-ups every day, and you'll be at my level in no time," Jupiter advised.

Sailor Moon cringed at the thought. "One second thought, I'm happy with the way I am…"

"Focus you two!" Mercury interrupted. "We're not out of the woods yet!"

The four Sailor Soldiers, now joined by Tuxedo Mask, formed together and stood against Kunzite. At the same time, Jadeite, Zoisite and Nephrite joined up with their commander.

"They dare to pull trickery on us…" Jadeite growled.

"I was beaten by perfume! PERFUME!" Zoisite whined angrily.

"I will not admit defeat to a fragile little girl… not ever!" Nephrite roared.

"Stand down, you three!" Kunzite ordered. "Now, let's attack them all at once. There's no way they can defend against that."

Jadeite grinned. "You always have the best ideas, brother!"

Tuxedo Mask realized what they were doing and turned to the Sailor Soldiers. "Look alive, girls! They're going to combine their powers!"

"Can we protect ourselves from that?!" Sailor Moon cried.

"When there's a will, there's a way!" Jupiter said, cracking her neck and bracing herself.

"Die, Sailor Soldiers!" the four Dark Knights said at once.

"SHADOW BALL!"

"FLYING BLOOD STAR!"

"BRIMSTONE HAMMER!"

"BLOSSOM BOMBARDMENT!"

The Sailor Soldiers tensed up as the Knights unleashed their strongest attacks, unsure of exactly how defend themselves. It was a fight-or-flight situation, and it was looking like flight was their only option…

ZING!

In the blink of an eye, a flash of gold crossed the battlefield and destroyed all four of the Dark Knights' attacks. Neither the Knights, the Sailor Soldiers nor Tuxedo Mask had any idea what just happened. That is until they looked at the ground and saw a crescent moon shaped boomerang embedded in the street.

"Who did that?!" Kunzite shouted. "Show yourself!"

"Guys! Up there!" Sailor Moon cheered.

All at once, everyone looked up to the roof of a nearby building. The figure was silhouetted against the setting sun, but they were all still able to make out the outline of a sailor uniform. Squinting her eyes, Sailor Moon could see that she had long blonde hair, a red and white bodice, a blue skirt, and an unmistakable red mask.

"Sailor… V?" Moon whispered in awe.

"You pest! Prepare to die!" Kunzite shouted, charging up another Shadow Ball. Before he could throw it, however, Queen Metalia's voice entered his mind.

"Kunzite! Do not attack her!" Metalia ordered. "Take your comrades and return here immediately!"

Kunzite was confused. "But, my Queen-"

"AT ONCE!" Metalia screamed. Her voice practically ripped through Kunzite's brain.

Hesitantly, Kunzite turned to the other Dark Knights. "Queen Metalia has ordered us to retreat. Let us depart at once."

Not wanting to question their Great Ruler, the four knights nodded and followed Kunzite through a dimensional door he opened. In and instant, they were gone.

"Dammit! They got away!" Jupiter said, frustrated.

Sailor Moon turned away from a second to see what she meant, but when she turned back to the building, Sailor V was gone.

"Where'd that new girl go?" Mars asked, speaking Moon's thoughts.

"She almost looked like a Sailor Soldier," Mercury observed.

"You guys think that was Sailor V?" Jupiter asked.

"No way, Sailor V?!" Mars said excitedly, letting her inner fangirl show. "She really saved us!"

"No, that's impossible…" Moon said in dismay. The other girls looked at her, taken aback by her unusual depressed attitude. "Sailor V is dead! Luna told me she's dead! I-It was all over the news too!"

"Then who was that?" Mercury asked.

"I… I'm not sure…" Moon said, her mind racing.

"Well, kitty's gonna have a lot of explaining to do when we get back!" Jupiter barked.

Mars nudged the taller girl. "Later. For now, we should go check on Senator Fujiyama and make sure she's okay."

Jupiter looked disappointed, but nodded in agreement. The four soldiers began to walk off to find the senator, but Sailor Moon stopped when she saw Tuxedo Mask still staring up at the building.

"Tuxedo Mask?" she said, getting his attention.

"Oh, sorry about that. I must have spaced out," he fibbed.

"O-Okay…" Moon said shyly. "Um… thank you for saving me… again."

The dark-haired man tipped his hat to her and smiled. "All in a day's work. Now, go help your friends." Sailor Moon smiled back, nodded, and skipped off to join the other soldiers. Tuxedo Mask looked back up to the building, deep in thought once again. "That girl… could she be the one?"

* * *

Kunzite burst into Queen Metalia's chambers, not even bothering to ask permission for entrance. "Why did you call us off, my Queen?!" he demanded. "We could have destroyed them with ease, so why did you order a retreat?"

Once he was halfway into the room, Metalia shot a bolt of dark energy at Kunzite, silencing him and bringing him to his knees. "You have some nerve demanding answers from me after going behind my back! Not to mention all three of your monsters failed their missions!"

Kunzite tensed up, realizing that he had failed his Great Ruler once again. He solemnly placed a hand over his chest. "You are right, your majesty. I'm a disgrace to your rule. I will accept whatever punishment you have in store for me…"

Metalia just sighed. "Quit groveling, Kunzite. I'm not going to punish you."

"What?" Kunzite said, legitimately shocked. "B-But… why? Has something pleased you?"

Even though she was just a dark essence floating in a glass sphere, Kunzite could swear he saw the Queen smile. "That girl who interfered with your battle… I believe it was Sailor V."

Kunzite's eyes went wide. "S-Sailor V? I… I thought she was dead!" Despite his demeanor, Kunzite felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: happiness. Why was he feeling this way? Wasn't Sailor V their enemy?

"I thought so too, but it appears we were mistaken," Metalia said. "Not only that, but I felt an overwhelming amount of light energy when she arrived on the battlefield."

"Do you think…?" Kunzite began.

Queen Metalia laughed slowly. "I believe we have found our Moon Princess…"

~A Suivre~


	17. Usagi's Dilemma

Here's chapter 17! Finally... This is probably the worst case of writers' block I've ever had. I really had no idea what I wanted to do with this chapter. I knew it had to be something involving Usagi and Mamoru, as those two have barely spent any time together thus far, but how I was going to set it up threw me for a loop. What I didn't count on was it taking two whole weeks! Given how much of a setback this was, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. Hopefully it will be soon enough that I can get my regular update schedule back on track, but no promises. Sorry :(

Anyway, hope this chapter is worth the wait! Leave a review and let me know what you think ;)

* * *

Chapter 17: Usagi's Dilemma

"Mom! Mom! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Usagi squealed as she ran down the stairs to her mother, who was reading a magazine in the living room.

"What is it sweetheart?" Ikuko asked inquisitively.

Usagi ran into the living room and slapped a pair of movie tickets onto the coffee table. "I got tickets for the movie adaptation of Cherry Blossoms in Winter!" she announced with an abnormally wide smile.

Her mom just sat there with a dumbfounded look. "Right… remind me what that is again?"

Usagi's expression dropped. "Ugh, mom! It's only like, the most famous romance manga of all time! Even Ms. Sakurada knows what it is!"

"I take it you two have discussed it in detention before?" Ikuko asked sarcastically.

The blonde girl's demeanor continued to sway. "Well… yeah, we actually have…"

Ikuko shook her head. "Why am I not surprised…" She looked back at the two tickets, noting that there were indeed two. "So, who's the second one for?"

Usagi's expression perked up once again. "Oh… you know, someone special…" she said, blushing up a storm.

Her mother grinned impishly. "Why, Usagi dear, are you planning to ask a boy to go see a romantic movie with you?"

"Why yes, yes I am!" Usagi said proudly.

Ikuko chuckled. "You know, girls never made the first move when I was in high school. Shouldn't the boy be asking you to go with him?"

"Oh, c'mon mom!" Usagi whined. "Nobody cares about tradition or whatever anymore! If I like a boy and he doesn't ask me out, then I'll gladly make the first move!" she declared, raising a fist.

"I don't know whether to be proud or concerned," the purple-haired woman said. "So, will I ever get to meet this prince who has captured my daughter's heart?"

Usagi winked at her mom. "If it all goes well, you'll be serving dinner for five in no time!"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, young lady!" Ikuko reprimanded. "Now, go get your man!"

"Roger that, Captain Mama!" Usagi said, saluting her mother. She then grabbed the tickets and headed for the door, but her father suddenly got in her way. His arms were crossed and his eyes were narrowed.

"And what's this I hear about you asking someone out?" Kenji asked firmly, disapproval all over his voice. "I sincerely hope it's not a boy."

Usagi searched for an excuse. "Uh… well, you see daddy… I was just… going to go see a movie with Rei!" she said quickly at the end. "I was going to ask her because she's a huge fan of the manga this movie is based on, so that's why I asked her! Yeah, that's it!"

Her dad glared down at her for a moment, as if trying to read her mind. "Oh, well I guess it's all right then!" he said, cheerful all of a sudden. He reached own and pet his daughter's head. "I thought some brute was about to come steal my daughter away from me, but I'm relieved that that's not the case!"

"Yeah… ahahaha!" Usagi laughed. "Well, I better be going now! Don't wanna keep crabby old Rei waiting!" she said before slipping out the door.

Kenji walked into the living room and sat down next to his wife. "That's a relief. I thought my sweet little angel was about to go on a date with a boy…"

"You know, she could be asking Rei on a date," Ikuko said.

Her husband immediately sat up, his eyes wide. "W-W-What do you mean b-by that?!"

"Oh calm down, sweetie. I'm just kidding!" Ikuko chirped, latching onto her husband's arm. "I didn't know you were so against our daughter being interested in girls!"

Kenji turned beet-red. "Well… I'm not against it… I just think she's too young to be dating! That's all!" he said quickly. "Is it so wrong to be worried about my angel?"

Ikuko smiled and kissed his cheek. "Of course not. She's my angel too, after all."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Crown Arcade, Luna sat at the center of a table, stiff as a board. Ami, Rei and Makoto glared down at her with expectant faces. Luna brushed her paw against the table in one of those random gestures one makes in an awkward situations.

"Alright kitty," Makoto said, breaking the silence. "You're gonna have to start taking sooner or later."

Luna scratched her ear, still trying to stall. "Could it be… later then?"

"Please Luna," Ami said calmly. "We just want the truth."

"Apparently Usagi doesn't…" Rei snorted, acknowledging the girl's absence.

The black cat finally sat down and relaxed. "Okay," she sighed. "As you could probably gather from the battle yesterday, Sailor V is not dead. Back when Usagi first transformed, she was reluctant to accept her duty as a Soldier, so my boss and I faked Sailor V's death to encourage her to fight."

"Sounds like blackmail to me," Rei accused.

"Many people would be dead right now if not for said blackmail," Luna corrected. "Anyway, Sailor V has still been hard at work in other areas of Japan, but she prefers to work alone, hence why none of you have heard from or seen her yet."

"If that's the case, why did she help us yesterday?" Ami asked.

"Even though she works alone, she would never forsake her fellow Soldiers. I suppose she happened to be in the area and decided to intervene," the cat informed.

Makoto crossed her arms. "I mean, it's not like we needed her help." She reached into her purse and pulled out, to everyone's surprise, the perfume bottle she used in her Flower Hurricane attack.

Luna's eyes widened. "W-What?! I… Makoto! How are you using that when you're not transformed?"

Makoto applied the perfume to her neck, then put it away and shrugged. "I dunno. I kinda just thought about it and it appeared. It's a lovely fragrance though, just like roses."

"I think it smells wonderful…" Ami whispered.

Unfortunately, Makoto overheard her. "Thanks Big Blue! Hopefully I can attract a bunch of tough guys with it, just so I can turn them down and laugh in their face!" she chuckled. Her laughter distracted her from the mixed emotions on Ami's face, torn between her blush at the compliment and her cringe at the nickname. "Speaking of which, why do I have flower power all of a sudden? I thought you said my element was lightning?"

Luna looked up to the ceiling, thinking to herself. "Well, in mythology, Jupiter is associated with both lightning and wood, so it would stand to reason that your element is nature, and not just lightning."

Jupiter grinned widely. "Awesome! I got lightning, flowers, wind… what other powers do I have?!" she said eagerly, getting up in the cat's face.

Luna backed up a little. "Uh… I'm sure you'll discover any additional powers in due time…"

"There's one more thing we want to address," Rei said, pushing Makoto back into her seat. "When you were talking with your boss, he said something about the Dark Kingdom being after a crystal."

The black cat froze once again, unable to form words in her mouth. "Oh, that… I… well, it's…"

"Luna. No more secrets," Ami demanded.

Just when she was about to answer, Usagi came bursting into the Crown, bouncing like a bunny. "Hey guys! What's up?"

"Late, late, says the white rabbit," Rei chastised, internally complimenting herself for the joke.

"Well, looks like I have to explain everything to her again! Oh well…" Luna said, obviously stalling once again.

"Luna…" Ami began.

"Not now, Luna! I've got a hot date to go on!" Usagi beamed.

Rei smirked sarcastically. "That's a new one."

"If he's on the football team, I will slap you," Makoto warned.

Ignoring her friends' remarks, Usagi went up to the counter and leaned over to the handsome boy working behind it. "Oh, Motokiiii…" she cooed. "I've got a little surprise for you!"

The sandy-haired boy looked up to her. "And what might that be, Usa?"

"Ta-da!" she cheered, flashing the two movie tickets in front of his face. "I got two tickets for the movie adaptation of Cherry Blossoms in Winter! Oh Mooki, won't you please go with me?"

Motoki chuckled, blushing and rubbing the back of his head. "Well, that sounds like a lot of fun…" Usagi's face began to light up, but the boy stopped her. "But I can't go tonight. I have an important exam tomorrow that I have to study for."

Usagi's face fell and her bottom lip began to quiver. "What? B-But… who am I supposed to go with?"

Motoki, not wanting to turn down such an adorable girl, thought for a moment. When an idea hit him, he snapped his fingers and smiled. "That's it! Usa, how would you feel about going on a blind date?"

The blonde looked curious. "A blind date?"

"Yeah! I know one of my friends who'd be happy to go see the movie with you," Motoki said.

"Ooo… is he a hottie?" Usagi asked with a hint of bedroom eyes.

The taller boy laughed. "He's nice. Trust me, you'll love him."

Usagi took Motoki's hand in both of her's. "If you say he's great, then I have no choice but to trust you! Thank you so much, Mooki!"

"Heh… you know, you don't have to call me that…" Motoki said nervously.

Across the room, the three other girls and Luna were eavesdropping, and none of them were happy about what they heard. "That bastard…" Makoto hissed, clenching her fists.

"I know right?" Rei said. "I mean, she didn't even ask me to go! Cherry Blossoms in Winter is one of my favorite-"

"I'm not talking about her, you dolt!" Makoto interrupted. "I'm talking about him! He just set her up with some random guy she doesn't even know! This dude he's talking about is probably some big tough hunk who's just in it for the booty!"

Luna put her paw on the girl's fists to calm her. "You don't know that, Makoto. Perhaps this stranger is a nice person like Motoki says."

"I don't know Luna," Ami said. "Motoki didn't even tell her his name. I mean, she didn't ask for it, but we all know how impulsive Usagi is. I don't trust this whole situation at all."

Makoto punched her fist into her palm. "Let's follow them tonight!"

"What?" Ami, Rei and Luna asked simultaneously.

"Let's stake out in front of Usagi's house tonight and follow her and her date!" the brunette said. "If he tries anything funny, we take him out!"

Rei rolled her eyes. "Only you would suggest something like that…"

"I think that's a good idea," Ami said, agreeing with her tall friend. "We don't know what this guy is like, so we don't know if he'll try anything. I'm sure nothing bad will happen, but we should follow Usagi just to be safe." She looked up to Makoto and stabbed her pointer finger into her chest. "As long as you don't do anything rash."

Makoto sighed. "Okay, fine. But if something does happen, neither of you can hold me back. Deal?"

"Deal!" Ami smiled.

"Whatever…" Rei shrugged.

"Right! Sailor Soldiers, move out!" Makoto said, standing up and marching out of the Crown, followed by Ami and Rei.

Luna stayed behind them, relieved that their conversation was over. "Thank Selene they didn't press any further." She looked back at the bun-headed girl, who was still talking with Motoki. "Sometimes your romantic antics are quite helpful, Usagi."

* * *

Kunzite stood at the center of the monster barracks, his eyes following a monster, obscured by shadows, that was flapping around the ceiling with bat-like wings. "Do you understand the task I've assigned to you, Goile?"

The shadowed monster perched on nearby stone windowsill. The moonlight coming through revealed a skin-and-bones figure with bat wings, horns, and a rat-like tail. "Yeah, yeah, draw out Sailor V, capture her but don't kill her… I've got it under control, boss."

Kunzite nodded, then looked around the barracks. To his dismay, the once lively room was now quiet and empty. "I've nearly lost all of my troops…"

"Except for me! You're ol' buddy, Goile!" the gargoyle monster cackled. "And of course, Mister Edge-Lord over there," he whispered, gesturing over to a cot tucked away in the corner of the room. On the cot lay a tall figure whose body was covered by a long cape. Goile slinked over to the monster and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, Akira! Ya hear that? We're the final frontier, you and I!"

The monster, called Akira, stared up at the ceiling, never meeting Goile's gaze. "Indeed, old friend. Our comrades have all but met their untimely demise. Now, we are Kunzite's last hope of staying the the Queen's good graces."

Goile backed up, scratching his head. "Okay then… I'll just be on my way now." The gargoyle monster turned to face Kunzite one last time, only to reveal that he had no face; no eyes, nose, or mouth. "I can assure you, Master Kunzite, that Sailor V will belong to the Queen by the time I return!" he hissed.

"I'll hold you to that," Kunzite said, smiling at the lanky beast. With that, Goile exited the barracks, leaving Kunzite alone with his last remaining soldier.

"Master, do you truly believe Goile will succeed?" Akira asked grimly.

Kunzite glared at the monster. "Do you not have faith in your comrade?"

"Would you prefer the optimistic answer or the honest answer?" he asked. "If I'm going to be honest, then no. The Sailor Soldiers have proven time and time again that they are more than a match for us. Not to mention Goile is cocky and lacks focus. I believe that his mission is doomed to fail like the rest."

"I would have preferred the optimistic answer," Kunzite said gloomily before exiting the barracks himself. Once outside, he pinched the bridge of his nose and narrowed his eyes. "Why do I get the sickening feeling that he's right…"

* * *

Usagi sat on her bed, flipping through one of her mom's fashion magazines. Luna sat behind her, licking her paws and occasionally glancing up at the girl, who was being uncharacteristically quiet. "What are you up to, Usagi? You seem awfully focused."

She showed the black cat the magazine. "I'm picking out what I'm gonna wear on my date tonight!"

"Huh?" Luna said, bewildered. "How do you plan to get one of those outfits in time for your date? Does the magazine have lightning-fast delivery or something?"

"Nope, I'm just gonna use this!" Usagi chirped, whipping her Disguise Pen out of her pocket.

Luna's eyes bugged out of her head. "Usagi! You should only be using that for Soldier purposes!"

"Hey, it's my pen, so I can do what I want with it!" Usagi pouted before turning back to her magazine.

Luna reached out to try and stop her. "B-B-But… if my boss found out you used it irresponsibly, he might-"

"Oh, that one's perfect!" Usagi said, standing up and interrupting the cat. She quickly held up her Disguise Pen.

"MOON POWER! CHANGE ME INTO OUTFIT NUMBER FORTY SIX IN THAT MAGAZINE!"

With a flash of pink light and a swirl of sparkles, Usagi was instantly transformed into a flowy pink silk jacket with a floral pattern, a lacy white dress that stopped just above her knees, a pair of straw wedge heels, and a cute little sapphire necklace.

"I don't know why I even bother shopping anymore. This is so much more convenient!" Usagi said, admiring herself in the mirror.

Luna looked at the picture in the magazine and back to Usagi. "I will admit that it looks good on you. But why didn't your hair change to the style in the picture?"

"Because I never forsake the buns, Luna!" Usagi hissed with an intense glare. "NEVER… forsake the buns…"

DING DONG!

"Oh my gosh, that must be him!" She took one last look in the mirror, then turned to Luna again. "Quick, is anything missing?!"

Luna shook her head and smiled. "Don't worry. You look like a princess."

Usagi squeed to herself and ran out of the room. "Thanks Luna!" she called back before charging down the stairs. By the time she arrived at the door, she was panting with excitement. "Oh gosh, I hope he's handsome as heck!" With that, she straightened herself, adjusted her clothes one more time, and pulled the door open. "Face it, Tiger! You just hit the-"

"Hey there, Bun-Head!"

Usagi felt her mind and heart shatter at those words and that voice. Not a single cell in her body could comprehend who she was face to face with at the moment. It was Mamoru Chiba.

"Surprised to see me?" the boy asked.

"Sorry, I think you have to wrong address!" Usagi chirped happily before slamming the door in his face.

Mamoru had expected nothing less. "Really? Because this is where Motoki said your house was."

The door cracked open ever so slightly, allowing Usagi to peek through with one eye. "Motoki set me up with… y-you?" she asked, struggling to get that last word out.

"Looks like it," Motoki said casually.

Usagi still couldn't comprehend what was happening. "How… how do you know him? He's in college!"

"Family friends," the dark-haired boy said.

"What about Naru? Won't she get jealous?!" Usagi asked, panicked.

Mamoru held up his hands defensively. "Hey, it's not like this is a date or anything! I just wanna see a movie."

"But… I was supposed to go on a romantic date with a hot guy…" Usagi groaned like a spoiled child.

"I promise I will not kiss you," the boy added.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Usagi screeched. "Fine, I'll go with you, but only because I don't want to waste the money I spent on these tickets!" The blonde marched out of the house and past Mamoru, holding her chin high and huffing. Unfortunately, this caused her to miss the step up to her door and she fell face first to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Mamoru asked, crouching down next to her. He then noticed a piece of paper that had slipped out of her silk jacket. He picked it up and saw list along with childish doodles of two people holding hands and kissing. "You actually planned this night out step by step?"

"Oh, shut up!" Usagi snapped, snatching the list out of his hands and tucking it into her purse. "And thanks for catching me, by the way! What if I was Naru? Would you have caught me then?!"

Mamoru reached out and took her hand, gazing at her with longing eyes. "I would have caught you without a second thought, my dear…" Usagi's eyes went wide and her entire face flushed a deep red. Suddenly, Mamoru stood back up and began walking away. "Well, let's go! We don't wanna miss the movie, now do we?" he said with a snarky tone.

Usagi's eyes narrowed to pinpricks. "You jerk! You're supposed to wait for a lady, you know!" She sprang to her feet and ran after him, still fuming from his little joke.

From a set of nearby bushes, three heads poked out; one with blue hair, one with dark raven hair, and one brunette. "Alright, they're heading out. We should probably stay at least a block away so we don't catch their eye," Ami said.

"This plan of yours had better amount to something," Rei said, scowling at Makoto. "I should be practicing meditating right now."

"Oh, you can go one day without the Kung-Fu mumbo jumbo!" Makoto shot back. "Just remember; we gotta follow them for the entire date, but stay out of sight. And if he tries any funny business…" She punched a fist into her palm and cracked her knuckles. "We take him out!"

The three girls scrambled out of the bush, tumbling and crawling over each other comically. They ended up falling to the ground, with Makoto landing on top of Ami.

"Uh… hey Big Blue…" the brunette said awkwardly.

"Hi…" Ami responded with a light pink blush.

"Can… you two… get off me?!" Rei gasped. Ami and Makoto realized they were both laying on top of her. They all quickly got up and gathered themselves before heading off in pursuit of Usagi and Mamoru.

* * *

Usagi and Mamoru sat in a cozy, yet crowded theatre. Cherry Blossoms in Winter had attracted a massive crowd of fans on its opening night, ranging from lovestruck girls to otaku boys. It was one of the most popular romance manga of all time, after all.

The two had bought a jumbo popcorn to share, and Usagi had forced Mamoru to pay for it. Of course, the boy was more than willing to pay, but Usagi had wanted to assert the fact that she was in charge tonight. As the movie began, with the main leads meeting each other for the first time, Usagi reached into the bucket of popcorn to grab a handful of the buttery snack. Unfortunately, she found herself grabbing something rough and fleshy instead. She looked down and saw that, to her horror, she was grasping Mamoru's hand. The blonde quickly pulled away and crossed her arms, ignoring the boy's confused look.

As the film came to a close, the tragic final scene played where Daniel, an English exchange student, had to move back to America and was saying goodbye to Kei at the airport. The two promised to see each other again and shared one last tender kiss before Daniel walked off to his flight. Usagi couldn't contain her tears anymore and pressed her face into Mamoru's arm, crying her heart out. She didn't seem to care, nor even remember, who he was at the moment. The dark-haired boy just looked down at her and chuckled, knowing she would probably throw another fit when she realized who she was clinging to.

Several rows back, Ami and Rei were relaxing and trying to enjoy the movie, but Makoto sat poised like a vulture, never taking her eyes off her two targets. When Usagi got a wee bit too close to the boy, the brunette shot to her feet and began to storm over to them. Thankfully, Ami and Rei managed to pounce onto her and drag her back into their aisle. This garnered a few angry glares and shushes from audience members, but luckily Usagi didn't notice them.

* * *

After the movie was over, Usagi and Mamoru headed for the next thing on Usagi's 'date list': a fancy Italian restaurant. A snooty waiter in a swallow-tailed tuxedo led the two to a table underneath a shiny crystal chandelier, lighting a pair of candles for them as they sat down. Both of them were already uncomfortable with how romantic the setting was, but that reached its peak when the waiter handed them a 'couple's menu,' which Usagi hastily rejected. Mamoru was a little nervous, but couldn't help but laugh.

As it turned out however, the couple's menu was actually cheaper, so Mamoru managed to convince Usagi to order something off of it. They agreed on a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs, which the snooty waiter brought out in no time. Usagi immediately wolfed down the meatballs, as they had always been her favorite part of spaghetti. They then began to twirl up forkloads of the stringy noodles, wondering if they would even be able to finish the mountainous plate. At one point, Usagi was slurping up a rather long noodle, only to find Mamoru on the other end of it. Without hesitating, she bit off the end of the noodle and sank back into her chair, her face bright red. Mamoru sucked up the rest of the spaghetti and chuckled.

Ami, Rei and Makoto sat at a booth across the restaurant. Ami had ordered a lasagna while Rei nibbled on a small fagioli dish. Makoto had ordered a fancy blue cheese pizza, but complained that she could have easily made a better one. Just as she was about to choke down another bite, she noticed Usagi and Mamoru's little Lady and the Tramp situation and tried to squirm past Rei so she could lay a smackdown. Ami was able to hold her back, but not before all of their drinks got spilled.

* * *

Next on the agenda was an ice cream pit-stop for dessert. Usagi spent a long time with her face pressed against the freezer, gazing at the the endless amount of flavors. She found it nearly impossible to decide, and began to make it a matter of eenie-meenie-miney-mo. Just then, Mamoru tapped her on the shoulder and handed her a triple scoop cone of mint chocolate chip, rocky road, and bubblegum. He then held up a second cone with the same flavors, letting her know that he just got the same thing. Scowling, Usagi snatched it out of his hand and stormed out of the shop.

After Mamoru paid for the ice cream, he walked outside to join Usagi, who was leaning against the shop and pouting while taking tiny licks of her cone. She noticed that the ice cream was already beginning to melt onto her hand, and she scrambled to lick it up. Thankfully, Mamoru was kind enough to hand her some napkins he had picked up, which Usagi begrudgingly accepted. Then, as she busied herself wiping up the melted ice cream, Mamoru leaned over and took a bite off the top of the stack of her ice cream. That was all it took to send Usagi into another tantrum as she rapidly jabbed at his arm with butterfly-light punches. The dark-haired boy laughed at her antics, feeling little more than a tickle from her punches.

The trio of spies watched the pair goofing off from inside the ice cream shop, each enjoying an ice cream cone of their own. Suddenly, when Mamoru leaned in to steal a bite of Usagi's ice cream, Makoto's rage snapped and she clenched her fist, crushing her cone. If not for the sound of the cone cracking, Ami and Rei wouldn't have been able to grab her in time to prevent her from dashing outside and clobbering the dark-haired boy.

* * *

It was now late at night. The full moon was up in the air, a cool evening breeze was blowing about, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, revealing the vast array of stars for all to see. Despite the beautiful atmosphere, two young people who had shared the evening together were now trapped in and extremely uncomfortable situation. They sat on either side of a bench on the middle of the park, refusing to look at each other. Both tried desperately to come up with words to say, but for a good ten minutes, there was nothing but dead air between them.

"Sooo…" Mamoru began suddenly. "What now?"

Usagi's face turned red. "Well this was supposed to be the part where Motoki and I cuddle in the park and share a romantic kiss together, but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen now, does it?"

Mamoru sighed, then smiled at her. "I had fun tonight. I know you had other plans, but it wasn't a total disaster, was it?"

"Yeah, well it could've been less of a disaster!" Usagi snapped before crossing her arms and turning away from him.

The boy lowered his head in dismay. It seemed as if nothing was going to get through to this girl. "Usagi… why do you hate me?"

"What?!" Usagi squeaked. "I-I never said I hated you!"

Mamoru looked frustrated. "Okay then, why do you not like me? It just seems like you're always mad at me for no reason, or at least not a reason I know about." He turned his body towards her. "If I'm doing something that upsets you, let me know and I'll stop. Please… I don't like making people angry."

The blonde girl was annoyed by his persistence, but decided to indulge him. She took a deep breath and finally looked at him. "I don't hate you. Hate is a strong word and I would never use it so lightly. It's just… when we first met, we got off on the wrong foot. I was actually kinda hoping we could forgive and forget the next time we saw each other, but then you and Naru started going out." She paused to put her elbows on her knees and rest her head in her hands. "Naru's been my best friend since preschool. She's like the sister I never had. And even though we always loved to gawk at boy bands and check out cute guys for fun, I was actually afraid of the day she would get a boyfriend, because I knew that when push came to shove, she would pick him over me."

Mamoru listened carefully, shutting his eyes in shame. "I… I never intended to tear you two apart. Right now, she's the most important person in the world to me, but I know I'm not the only person she's important to."

"And you just proved that you're perfect for her. Way to soften the blow," Usagi said with light sarcasm.

Mamoru looked back at her again. "I'm sorry, but it's how I feel-"

"Can I ask you something now?" Usagi interrupted.

"Of course," the boy said politely.

"Why are you always nice to me when I'm so mean to you?" she asked with an honest look in her eyes.

Mamoru smiled again. "I guess it would be a cliche to say that I'm just a nice guy," he said. "But there's more to it than that. I know there's a lot of bad people in this world, some of whom we claim to hate." Usagi perked up, curious to see where he was going with this. "No matter what though, I like to see the good in everybody. I mean, nobody's born evil, right? There's got to be a sun above all of those dark clouds." The boy facepalmed at his own remark. "Geez… I'm turning into a Shakespeare wannabe…"

Usagi's eyes went wide after hearing what Mamoru said. "Wow… I don't believe this."

Mamoru turned back to her. "Why not?"

"The thing that we both value the most is literally the one thing we have in common," Usagi admitted, a hint of pink on her face. "I like to see the good in everybody too, no matter who they are."

"Huh," Mamoru said, a little dumbfounded. "Who'da thunk?"

Usagi giggled a little, then relaxed back against the bench, all of her awkward tension now gone. "I had fun too…" she muttered.

"Hm?"

"I had fun too!" Usagi said, raising her voice. "Thanks for coming out with me…"

The taller boy smiled again. "Anytime," he said, winking at her.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they had begun to close the gap between them as they talked, and were now only a few inches apart. Upon realizing how close they now were, their faces turned bright red and they each let out a nervous laugh.

WHA-POW!

Mamoru's eyes went wide for a second before he suddenly fell forward and onto the ground, unconscious.

"Mamoru!" Usagi cried, running to his side to make sure he wasn't hurt. She looked up to see who the assailant was, expecting to see a man in a black mask or something. Instead… "Makoto?! What are you doing here?"

"What I do best: take down guys like him!" the brunette scoffed.

Usagi looked down and saw Ami and Rei clinging to Makoto's legs. "Sorry, Bun-Head…" Rei apologized.

"We tried to hold her back, but she's just too strong…" Ami grunted.

As the wheels turned in Usagi's head, she suddenly came to a realization. "Wait… were you guys following us on our da… uh… fake date?!"

"Y-Yeah…" Rei and Ami admitted.

"We had to!" Makoto said firmly. "I saw this bastard trying to force himself on you just now. If it weren't for me, you would've had your first kiss stolen!"

Usagi's eyes narrowed and she shot to her feet, glaring at the tall girl. "He wasn't trying to force himself on me!" she shouted. Makoto was shocked by the girl's sudden outburst. "We were just having a conversation and we happened to be sitting a little close! Besides, Mamoru's not that kind of person! He may be pushy and a bit of a jerk sometimes, but he has a girlfriend who he loves more than anything and he always looks for good in people no matter who they are! He's not perfect, but nobody is! And at least he doesn't attack people without even knowing the whole story!"

Ami, Rei and Makoto were stunned. They had never seen Usagi get so angry before, and they never expected it to be in defense of Mamoru of all people. Even Makoto looked worried that the petite blonde girl would slap her or something.

"Ami! Come over here and help me make sure Mamoru is okay," Usagi ordered.

"A-Alright…" Ami complied, not used to have orders barked at her like that. She got to her feet and began to walk over to the two.

KABOOM!

Without warning, a ball of purple fire flew in out of nowhere and incinerated the bench, sending Usagi and Mamoru flying in one direction and Ami, Rei and Makoto in another. The two groups landed hard, trying to gather their bearings and figure out who had just attacked them. Their focus settled on the sound of a screeching metallic cackle that came from above.

"Well, well… looks like I have some victims!" Goile screeched.

The four girls looked up and saw an ungodly thin gargoyle-like monster with pitch black skin, bat wings, and a long worm-like tail flapping about overhead. However, the feature that creeped the girls out the most was the monster's lack of a face.

"What the hell are you?" Makoto shouted.

The monster perched on a tree branch and gestured to himself. "I am the mighty Goile of the great and amazing Dark Kingdom!" He then pointed down to the girls. "And you five are going to be my victims to lure out the heroine known as Sailor V!"

Makoto grinned at him. "Ha! Well if it's Sailor Soldiers you're looking for, we can fill the-"

Ami slapped a hand over her mouth. "Don't give us away!" she whispered sharply.

"Oh, a feisty one here," Goile sneered. "You may act tough now, but once I bring you all to the brink of death, you'll be begging for Sailor V to come rescue you!"

Goile conjured up another purple fireball and threw it at Ami, Rei and Makoto. The brunette quickly grabbed her two comrades and pulled them out of the way, narrowly avoiding the explosion of dark fire. The three made their way over to Usagi and stood protectively in front of the unconscious Mamoru.

"What do we do? We can't transform in front of him!" Rei said, sounding panicked.

Suddenly, Usagi brushed past her three friends and glared up at Goile. "We have to. We're sitting ducks without our powers."

"If we transform, we'll be giving away our identities to him!" Ami warned.

"And if we don't, he'll kill us and Mamoru! We have to protect him even if our identities are put at risk!" the blonde shouted to her blue-haired friend.

Rei raised and eyebrow. "You seem oddly hellbent on protecting this guy…"

"ReiRei?" Usagi snapped. "What should you be doing right now?"

"...transforming?" the raven-haired girl asked.

"Transforming!" Usagi yelled before taking out her Transformation Brooch. The others followed suit and took out their pens.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

"JUPITER POWER! MAKE UP!"

Goile watched with glee as four multi-colored lights erupted from the girls' bodies, transforming them into the Sailor Soldier alter egos.

"You won't be making anyone your victim tonight, Goile!" Sailor Moon shouted at the faceless fiend.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for courage! I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

Goile just laughed. "So, your four are the Sailor Soldiers? Just my luck! Now Sailor V will come to your aide for sure!" He formed two more dark fireballs in either hand and threw them at the girls.

"Time to fight fire with fire!" Mars said, stepping forward.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The two sets of fireballs, dark and light, collided in midair and exploded. However, when the explosion dispersed, Mars was shocked to see one of the dark fireballs had made it through unscathed and was now barreling towards her.

"MERCURY RIPPLE BARRIER!"

Sailor Mercury hurled herself in front of Mars and summoned her new ability, blocking the incoming fireball with ease. Next, Jupiter stepped up and materialized her perfume bottle around her waist.

"FLOWER HURRICANE!"

The gust of flower petals sailed towards Goile and surrounded him, throwing him off balance as he tried to flap his wings in tandem with the wind. "Not so easy to fly in a wind like this, is it, freakshow?!" Jupiter taunted.

Annoyed, Goile decided to one-up Jupiter by flapping his wings hard, creating one giant gust of wind that pushed the Hurricane attack back at the Soldier of Courage, knocking her across the grassy field.

Mercury quickly activated her visor and scanned the gargoyle monster. "He seems to have an advantage in the air. We have to find a way to ground him and fast!"

"Leave it to me!" Sailor Moon said, taking off her tiara.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

The golden frisbee flew into the air and sliced a hole in one of Goile's wings, causing him to lose control and fall to the ground. He struggled to get back up, enraged beyond belief, but unable to show it due to his lack of a face.

"You dare cut my wings, Sailor Moon?!" Goile screeched before dashing towards the blonde soldier with unbelievable speed.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Mercury's freezing cold wall of vapor quickly spread around the area, forcing Goile to charge at them blindly. He began to wildly flail his claws around, hoping they would eventually slice into something. Unfortunately for him, Moon, Mercury and Mars had already gotten out of the mist, leaving Goile violently swinging at nothing.

"Whew, that was close one!" Mars sighed.

"Jupiter, quick! Electrocute my mist!" Ami called.

Jupiter activated her lightning rod and began to charge up a Supreme Thunder. "You got it, Big Blue!"

"Wait!" Sailor Moon cried. "W-Where's Mamoru?"

A look of horror set in on the others' faces, realizing they had forgotten to pull the boy away when Mercury threw up her mist. Just then, they all heard a low, gargling laughter coming from within the icy cloud. As the mist dissipated, they saw Goile with his arm wrapped around the still unconscious Mamoru's neck.

"You know, for soldiers, you sure do suck at protecting people!" Goile mocked.

"Let him go!" Sailor Moon demanded, taking off her tiara.

"Whoa, slow down there, sweetheart!" Goile said. "If you make one more move, this boy dies!"

Sailor Moon stopped her attack just before she threw it. "What do you want?" she asked calmly.

"I want you to call Sailor V and bring her here," Goile demanded.

"We can't do that!" Mercury cried. "She's never even made contact with us before!"

"Yeah, she's practically a stranger to us!" Jupiter added.

Goile was getting irritated. He brought his other hand up to Mamoru's neck and pressed his wickedly sharp nails into the boy's flesh, threatening to pierce the skin and cut his jugular vein.

"NO!" Sailor Moon screamed. "Where's Tuxedo Mask? Shouldn't he be here to help us by now?" she thought to herself.

"You've got ten seconds…" Goile hissed, digging his nails further into Mamoru's skin.

"Please! I'm begging you, don't hurt him!" Moon cried out.

"Why shouldn't I?" the faceless monster asked sarcastically.

"Because…" the blonde heroine stuttered. "Because there's someone that he loves! Don't take him away from that person! It will shatter their heart!"

"Really?" Goile growled. "Then I guess I'll just have to find out who this lover is and kill them too! HAHAHAHA!"

Sailor Moon clenched her fist as Goile laughed his head off. "You bastard…" she hissed under her breath.

ZING!

From out of nowhere, a crescent moon-shaped boomerang flew across the battlefield and buried into the ground. Goile was confused by the sudden appearance of the weapon, but all questions in his head were suddenly replaced by an intense and overwhelming pain as his arm, which held Mamoru, separated from his body. The monster clutched his stumped arm, which was gushing ink-black blood, and let out a piercing screech of agony and rage.

"That weapon…" Moon gasped. She quickly looked around for the person she knew was the culprit of the attack, but only barely managed to catch a glimpse of a person in a sailor suit with long hair jumping out of a tree and running away.

"She shows up to help us, then leaves without a trace," Jupiter scoffed. "Reminds me of this jackass from an anime I used to watch-"

"Not important, Jupiter!" Mars interrupted.

Goile's breath was now labored and raspy. He tried to stop his bleeding with his remaining hand, but the inky substance still managed to leak through his fingers. "You bitches… are gonna pay for that…" he snarled. He then noticed Mamoru lying on the ground next to him, still out cold. He began to reach down to the boy, intending to keep his word.

"PHANTOM LAVALIERE!"

Sailor Mars threw her red pendant at the black-skinned beast and stuck it to him, causing every muscle in his body to lock up.

"What the… I can't… move!" Goile grunted, barely able to form words.

"Finish him, Sailor Moon!" Mars shouted.

The Soldier of Justice grasped the crown stud on her tiara between her thumb and forefinger, aiming the three red gems on it towards the Moon in the sky.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

The light of the Moon was reflected off the three gems on the tiara and towards Goile; a light so bright and intense that it enveloped the monster and incinerated him in seconds. His skin was burned away, his muscles were cooked to a crisp, and finally his bones were melted into nothing but smoke.

* * *

Mamoru's eyes slowly fluttered open, his vision still hazy. He craned his head forward to get a better sense of his surroundings, but suddenly felt a sharp twinge at the back of his neck. He reached up and tried to rub the pain away, figuring whoever had knocked him out must have been really strong. The boy looked around, realizing it was still dark out and he was sitting beneath a tree. When he felt something pressed against his shoulder, he looked down and saw a snoring Usagi leaning against him. The girl never failed to amuse him.

"Hey, Bun-Head," Mamoru whispered, bouncing her head with his shoulder. "Wake up, it's time for school."

The blonde rubbed her eyes as she slowly began to wake up. "Mooom… I don't wanna go to school…"

"But you have an English test today…" Mamoru teased.

Suddenly, Usagi sat straight up, bug-eyed and teary. "Not an English test!" Her panic was broken by the sound of laughter, and she turned to see Mamoru trying to hide his amusement. "You jerk! Don't you know you shouldn't interrupt a girl's beauty sleep?!"

"Easy there, you can go back to sleep after I get you home," he said. "By the way, what happened back there? Why was I knocked out?"

"One of those big, ugly monsters attacked us, but the Sailor Soldiers arrived just in time! We totally- I mean, they totally whooped his butt!" Usagi cheered, correcting herself.

Mamoru chuckled. "I bet they did." He paused for a moment and looked to the sky, thinking to himself. "Hey, can you do something for me?" he asked. "Look, I'm not going to dump Naru anytime soon, as much as you may want me to. But… can you at least try to make up with her? I really hate to see you two fighting."

Usagi looked surprised, then lowered her head and sighed. "You really are perfect for her." She stayed quiet for a moment, then smiled brightly at Mamoru. "Okay, I'll do it! Starting tomorrow, Naru and I will be BFFs once again!"

Mamoru smiled back and stood up, offering his hand to Usagi. "C'mon, it's late. I bet you're mom's gonna have a fit with me."

"Oh, don't worry about her. It's my dad you should watch out for," Usagi giggled, taking his hand and allowing him to pull her up. As the two walked off into the night, Ami, Rei and Makoto watched from a distance.

"I never thought I'd see the day when she didn't get mad at him," Ami commented.

"Is it really that rare?" Rei asked.

"Believe me; Usagi being nice to that guy is almost as rare as you being attractive," Makoto remarked.

"Huh, is that so?" Rei said, oblivious to the not-so-subtle insult. "Wait… HEY!"

* * *

The following day, Usagi made sure not to be late so she could meet up with Naru in the morning and fulfill her agreement with Mamoru. After putting her backpack in her locker, she wandered the halls in search of the two, and eventually found them flirting in front of their homeroom door. Mamoru was probably saying something charming, given Naru's rosy-red cheeks. Despite her repulsion towards the sight of her best friend giving so much attention to a boy, Usagi took a deep breath and walked over to them.

"Hey… Naru?" she asked.

Naru looked to see who it was, and immediately scowled. "What do you want? We're in the middle of something here!"

"I'm sorry."

Naru was confused. "You're sorry?"

"Yes… I'm sorry for being such a bad friend," Usagi said, choking up.

Naru found herself getting worried from the look on the blonde's face. "What are you talking about?"

Usagi sniffed, trying to hold back the tears now swimming in her eyes. "I-I just… I just got super jealous of how much time you were spending with Mamoru. Even though we always talked about having boyfriends, you actually getting one made me more angry than anything else." Usagi smiled at the redhead, her bottom lip quivering. "I know it's selfish, but… I wanted to have my b-best friend all to myself…"

Naru could feel tears of her own welling up. "S-S-Stop crying! If you cry, then… t-then I'll…"

"I really am sorry, Naru," Usagi said one more time, tears now flowing down her face.

That was all Naru could take. The redhead threw herself at Usagi, wrapping her arms around her neck and bawling like a baby. "USAGIIII!" she wailed.

"I'm sorry… I was such a bad friend!" Usagi cried again.

"Y-You're not a bad friend!" Naru assured. "I was a bad friend for pushing you away! I-I-I was just… b-being stupid!"

"You're not stupid!" Usagi bawled.

Both girls clung to each other for dear life, crying into each others' shoulders until their uniforms were wet from their tears. After a moment of embrace, they parted, but still kept their hands on each others' shoulders. "I… I missed my baby girl…" Naru whimpered.

"And I missed my Mama Naru…" Usagi said with a small smile.

Naru leaned forward and kissed her BFF on the nose, causing the blonde girl to blush a little. The two smiled at each other and giggled, their sisterly friendship having been reignited. Mamoru watched the cute moment between the two, happy that Usagi had listened to him.

"Best friends, huh?" he thought to himself. "I wish I knew what that was like…"

~A Suivre~


	18. Akira

Here's chapter 18! Yeah... not really keeping with the frequent updates anymore, am I? I'm going back to college in a few weeks, so it's getting pretty hectic around here. Still, I'll do my very best to update whenever I can. This chapter is the penultimate to the "season finale" of sorts. Chapter 19 and 20 is going to be a two-parter and kind of kick off a new string of events. Until then, enjoy this chapter and leave a review if you so desire!

P.S. Shoutout to Ghost Man for reviewing all of my chapters last week! Thanks man, I appreciate the feedback!

* * *

Chapter 18: Akira

Kunzite stood at the door to his monsters' barracks, hesitant to push it open and enter. He had grown so accustomed to the sound of his troops socializing and squabbling from outside the room, that the ominous silence that now came from beyond the door sent a chill down his spine. With great reluctance, he pushed the heavy wooden doors open with a loud creak, half of him expecting to see his army standing at attention.

All he saw was one monster, Akira, leaning against a stone pillar at the center of the room. He wore a long red cape wrapped around his body, a regal embroidered black uniform, and heavy leather boots. His had ghostly pale skin, sky-blue emo hair, and yellow eyes. His most distinctive feature, however, was his missing ear on one side. Even as Kunzite entered, he refused to look up and meet his master's somber face.

"Goile has failed as I predicted," Akira said monotonously.

Kunzite nodded. "That makes you the sole survivor of my troops," he said, stating the obvious.

"I assume you want me to complete his mission?" the vampire asked.

"As long as you kill the Sailor Soldiers, it matters not whether you lure out Sailor V," Kunzite responded.

Akira raised his head, but still didn't look at the Dark Knight. "Only the Soldiers? I will not do it if others will be harmed," he declared.

Kunzite placed a hand on his shoulder. "Fear not, Akira. You aren't required to kill any innocents."

"Good," Akira said. He brushed past Kunzite and began to walk towards the door. Before he could get too far, Kunzite grabbed his shoulder again and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Forgive me, Akira," the knight said honestly. "It was never my intention for it to come to this. I wish I could offer you more than just pity…"

Akira's face remained stoic, but soon he returned the hug. "I don't blame you for anything that's happened, Kunzite. If anything, I should be thanking you for holding me back all this time." He broke their embrace and finally met his master's eyes. "But if it means saving your life, then I will kill them."

Kunzite took some time to take in what he said. After a moment of silence between them, he smiled at the vampire. "Thank you, Akira. I owe you my life."

Before he could say anymore, Akira put a finger to Kunzite's lips. "Master, if it weren't for you, I would not be standing here today. I can never repay the compassion you showed me all those centuries ago." At last, he turned to go and walk out the door. Just before exiting, he turned back to Kunzite one more time. "Though I will spend the rest of my life trying."

Kunzite watched his last soldier leave the barracks, a bittersweet smile on his face. Despite the confidence he felt that Akira would be the one to succeed, he couldn't shake an aching feeling he had in his heart.

Suddenly, an image flashed in Kunzite's mind of a battered and bloodied young man kneeling before him. "Please, my Queen! Spare this man!" he heard himself shout.

Kunzite clutched his chest, repressing the unshed tears he felt in his eyes. Despite knowing that Akira was his last hope of not being killed by Queen Metalia, it pained him knowing that he was forcing the young monster into what would be a painful situation for him.

* * *

For the first time in a long time, Usagi and Naru sat across from each other in the food court at a mall. Between them was a jumbo strawberry slushie that had two straws protruding from the top. The blonde and her redheaded friend eagerly shared the fruity frozen treat, playing one of their favorite games: 'Who can survive the longest without getting a Brain Freeze?'

"Alright, you know the rules!" Usagi declared. "First one to take their mouth off the straw loses."

"Mama Naru's got you this time, Usa!" Naru challenged.

Usagi smirked confidently. "Alright then… ready!"

"Steady!" Naru said, leaning towards the second straw.

"BRAIN FREEZE!" the two shouted in unison.

They both leapt forward, took the straws in their mouths, and began downing the icy cold drink. Both of them appeared to be fine at first, but slowly, Naru felt a migraine growing in her head. Her brow began to furrow and her eyes began to squint. Usagi, on the other hand, remained as calm as a lamb. Finally, Naru was forced to surrender and back away from the slushie.

"Ah! Oh geez! It hurts!" Naru cried, pressing her fingers to her temples.

"Remember, touch your tongue to the top of your mouth!" Usagi advised. Naru did just that, and in no time, her headache subsided.

"Good lord, how do you do it?" the redhead asked in awe.

Usagi grinned proudly. "I eat ice cream all the time, Naru! I haven't gotten a brain freeze in ages," she bragged.

"You always have been the Queen of Sweets," Naru giggled. She then paused for a moment and changed the subject. "You know, I almost forgot how much fun hanging out with you is."

Usagi faked a hurt expression. "You're so mean, Naru! I could never forget how much fun hanging out with you is…"

"T-That's not what I meant!" Naru quickly corrected. "It's just been a long time, you know. And you've gotten so much prettier!"

Her blonde friend blushed. "Oh, please! You're the one who's gotten prettier! I mean, you've cut your hair, you got new lipstick and… oh! I didn't even notice that necklace! It's so cute!"

Naru's eyes suddenly lit up. "I know, right? Mamoru got it for me! You should've been there, it was so romantic! We were having dinner together one night, and all of a sudden, he took out this little box. My heart started pounding out of my chest for a moment, because I thought he was gonna propose or something! But as it turns out, it was this necklace! Obviously, I gave him a big kiss after-" She paused after seeing Usagi's slightly uncomfortable expression. "S-Sorry about that… I still get carried away when I'm talking about him sometimes…"

"No, it's fine!" Usagi assured. "Honestly, I've heard you talk bout him so much, it makes me wish I had a boyfriend."

Naru became interested. "Hm? You got something… or someone you wanna tell me about?"

Usagi's gaze became distant. "I'm still trying to get through to Motoki…"

"Oh, come on, girlfriend! Motoki's a lost cause. He's in college for goodness sake!" Naru said. "Be real with me: what's your ideal boyfriend?"

Usagi put a finger to her lips and looked to the ceiling. She thought for a long moment. "Well, I'd like him to be nice, of course… I'd want him to worry about me a lot so I feel wanted… he should be brave so he could protect me… oh, but I'd also want him to tease me a lot! I've kinda taken a liking to that recently…"

Naru leaned in and grinned impishly at her friend. "Sounds to me like you want a bad boy!"

Usagi blushed again. "Well… not bad. More like… mysterious! I'd want him to be a tough nut to crack at first, but after I get through his lone wolf side, he'd turn into a giant teddy bear!"

"You seriously read too many manga, Usa…" Naru sighed, shaking her head.

* * *

After finishing the last of the slushie, the two girls walked off into the mall once again, going into every store they could find; fashion stores, shoe stores, makeup stores, jewelry stores, and of course, manga stores. Eventually, they had made it back and forth across the entire mall nearly five times.

"We have an emergency, Mama Naru!" Usagi said in a military-esque voice. "We're running low on stores to visit! We've plundered nearly all of them!"

"I read you loud and clear, Usa!" Naru replied in a similar tone. "Prepare to pull out immediately!"

Usagi immediately burst out laughing. "Did… did you have to say p-pull out?" she said, cracking up.

"I thought we were doing an army thing here! It's what they say when they're about to depart from a mission!" Naru insisted. "Geez, get your mind outta the gutters, Usa!"

Usagi slowed her laughing and wiped the moisture from her eyes. "Sorry… anyway, I think we really have visited almost every store here."

"We haven't been to that one," Naru said, pointing at another fashion store with several fancily-dressed mannequins displayed in its windows. "I think it might be new!"

"Well what're we waiting for?!" Usagi squealed. "Let's get modeling!"

The girls began skipping their way over to their last stop for the day, but stopped when a scream rang out from down the mall. A crowd of people came running like a stampeding herd of cattle. Usagi's heroine instincts kicked in and she grabbed Naru, pulling her as close to the wall as possible and under the walkway of the upper floor. As the rampaging crowd ran by, the two girls saw what was causing them to panic.

"Sailor Soldiers, show yourselves!" Akira roared, smashing a store window with his bare hands.

"These guys seriously have the worst timing!" Usagi hissed to herself. She reached for her brooch and prepared to transform, but quickly paused. "Wait, I can't transform in front of Naru…" Going for option two, she brought her communicator up to her mouth and spoke into it. "Everyone! There's a monster at the mall! Get over here quick!"

"Who're you talking to?" Naru asked.

Usagi slapped a hand over her wrist. "I-I'm just… calling the police!"

Before Naru could ask any further questions, she was cut off by a loud cracking noise. Akira had destroyed part of the upper floor walkway with a whip-like crimson tendril that extended from his hand.

"How much do I have to destroy before the Sailor Soldiers arrive?" Akira growled. He then turned his attention to a store right next to him.

"CHIRYU: MUCHI!"

Another blood-red tendril shot out of Akira's palm and shattered the display window of the store, destroying several mannequins in the process.

"Hey, you!"

Akira turned around to identify the shrill, squeaky voice that was calling him out. He was surprised to see that it belonged to a petite young girl with blonde hair that was done up in twin pigtails and buns.

"How dare you destroy that store! My friend and I were just about to go in there!" Usagi shouted.

Naru watched from a distance, tugging nervously at her hair. "Usagi… what are you doing?!" she muttered through clenched teeth.

Akira turned his body towards the blonde girl. "You should leave this place while you can. I do not wish to harm you," he said.

Usagi was taken aback by this. "Oh… well, you should take your own advice! Because… I don't wanna hurt you either!" she challenged, stabbing her pointer finger in his direction. Despite her brave act, Usagi was in a deep panic on the inside. "Come on, guys! Get here faster!" she thought to herself.

"You're starting to annoy me, young one," Akira warned. "Now, get out of my sight." He went back to destroying the mall around him, paying now mind to Usagi.

Acting on her instincts, Usagi reached down, took off one of her shoes, and chucked it at Akira, scoring a direct hit on his head. "That was just a warning, big fella!" she squeaked.

Akira whirled around, his yellow eyes piercing into Usagi's blue ones. "You overstep!" he shouted.

"CHIRYU: MUCHI!"

Using his blood whip attack, the vampire snared Usagi, binding her arms to her sides and lifting her into the air.

"Usagi!" Naru screamed.

Akira paid her no mind, instead focusing his glare on the now squirming Usagi. "This is your last chance, human. Leave now or become buried in the rubble of this building."

Despite feeling like she was being squeezed by a python, Usagi stayed dedicated to her diversion. "Don't call me girl! My name is Usagi, you dummy!"

"You are in no position to insult me…" Akira hissed.

"Freeze!"

The two looked down the mall and saw several people in uniform approaching. It was mall security, and they were carrying guns. "Drop the girl and put your hands in the air!" one of them ordered.

Akira remained calm and unimpressed. He raised a hand and pointed two fingers at the group of security guards.

"CHIRYU: RINGU!"

In an instant, five crimson rings shot out of Akira's fingers and wrapped around the guards, forcing them to drop their weapons and fall to the ground.

"Don't fight him!" Usagi screamed to the guards. "Get out of here before he kills you!"

The girl was surprised when she felt the tendril release her and drop her to the ground. "Listen to this girl. All of you must leave right now. For when the Sailor Soldiers arrive, this building will become a battlefield!"

FWOOSH!

Out of nowhere, a huge fireball came screaming towards Akira, barely giving the vampire enough time to evade it. He did however, and quickly looked around for the source of the attack. His sight eventually found three girls in blue, red and green sailor uniforms.

I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I'LL CHASTISE YOU!"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for courage! I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

"We are the Sailor Soldiers, and we will defeat you in the name of truth, justice, and the Japanese way!" all the said in unison.

Usagi rolled her eyes. "You guys should just leave the speeches to me…" she muttered.

Akira stared down his three adversaries. "You've finally arrived, Sailor Soldiers…" he whispered. "I promise the three of you an honorable death!"

"CHIRYU: MUCHI!"

Akira thrust his arm at the three soldiers, his ruby-red tendril streaking towards them like a striking cobra.

"MERCURY RIPPLE BARRIER!"

Mercury summoned her barrier, causing Akira's whip to crash against it and become nullified. Once the barrier went down, Mars took the red pendant off her bodice.

"PHANTOM LAVALIERE!"

The Soldier of Fire threw her pendant at Akira and stuck it to his body, rendering him motionless.

"My turn!" Jupiter announced, stepping forward.

"SUPREME-"

Before she could finish her attack, another blood tendril snaked out of Akira's hand and pulled Mars's pendant off his body. The tendril then crushed the pendant, but luckily it rematerialized on Mars' uniform as soon as it was destroyed.

"Those attacks…" Mars said, flashing back to a battle that nearly cost her her life. "Why do they seem so familiar?"

"Sailor Mars, I understand you had an encounter with my master's brother, Jadeite," Akira said. "I am the one who trained him in the art of Plasma Kinesis, or the ability to manipulate blood. It is quite a lethal style of combat, which is why none of you will survive this battle!"

Mars clenched her fist. "If Jadeite couldn't kill me, then neither will you!" she declared.

"CHIRYU: RINGU!"

Ignoring the raven-haired girl, Akira launched three more blood rings at the soldiers. Quick as lightning, Jupiter sprung into action.

"FLOWER HURRICANE!"

Summoning her perfume belt, Jupiter used a torrent of flower petals to deflect the blood rings right back at the vampire. Akira swiftly leapt into the air and unleashed another blood tendril at the three soldiers.

"CHIRYU: MUCHI!"

In a similar fashion, the soldiers evaded Akira's attack and spread it in three directions. Mercury prepared a pair of water spirals in her hands.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

The mist surrounded Akira as he descended to the ground. Next, Jupiter activated her lightning rod.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

A furious bolt of lightning flew from the brunette's fingers and electrocuted the mist and Akira in the process. Finally, Mars ignited a fireball in her hand.

"FIRE SOUL!"

The fireball soared through the air and into the cloud of mist, the resulting explosion evaporating the rest of the water vapor and replacing it with a wall of flames. Slowly, the explosion of fire turned to smoke, and silence filled the mall sans the echo of the combustion. Believing they were victorious, the Sailor Soldiers regrouped.

"He sure built himself up for a whole lot of nothing…" Jupiter sneered.

"These monsters just love to talk, don't they?" Mars said, crossing her arms.

Mercury, on the other hand, kept her eyes on he smoke. "No… it couldn't have been that easy…"

Heeding Mercury's words, Mars and Jupiter turned to take a closer look at the result of their combined attack. Sure enough, as the smoke faded, they saw Akira standing there with little more than ripped clothes and a few scratches.

"I guess it wasn't just talk, then!" Mars said, getting into one of her Tai Chi stances.

"Round Two, ya bastard!" Jupiter shouted, cracking her knuckles.

"Stay on guard, guys!" Mercury warned.

Not appearing intimidated, nor bothered by the previous attack, in the slightest, Akira extended his hand towards the three soldiers, making a strange sign with his fingers that the others didn't even think was humanly possible.

"CHIRYU: BANPAIA!"

Just as the Soldiers were about to make a move, they felt their bodies become weak and their joints begin to buckle. They looked down at their skin and saw that it was turning from a healthy shade of peach to a deathly pale white, similar to that of the monster in front of them. Their vision began to go blurry as well, and their heads became fuzzy and sore.

"Guys!" Usagi screamed.

"What… are you… doing…?" Mars asked weakly.

"I'm draining the blood from your bodies," Akira said casually. "In moments, your bodies won't be able to function, and you will be at my mercy."

"Damn you…" Mars stumbled towards the vampire and attempted to punch him, but he easily caught her attack and burrowed his knee into her stomach. He followed up with a backhand punch to her face that sent her reeling back towards the other soldiers.

"STOP!" Usagi screamed again, pained at the sight of her friends getting beaten. She felt helpless, wanting desperately to transform, but knew she couldn't with Naru and especially the security guards still in close proximity. She was angry, anguished, and terrified all at once, and the overwhelming mix of emotions caused tears to begin to accumulate on her eyes.

"CHIRYU: RINGU!"

Akira used his blood ring attack to incapacitate the Soldiers and prevent them from making any further advances on him. "Now, young soldiers… you will die…" he said with frightening calmness.

Jupiter, however, had other plans. She activated her antennae once again, but hesitated. "Dammit… I can't… control this attack… without… my hands…" she hissed, trying to focus her energy. "Well… I don't… have much choice…"

"Supreme… THUNDER!"

Indeed, without her hands to conduct the attack, Jupiter's lightning ended up flying in all directions like a shotgun blast, shattering glass, ripping up floor tiles, and nearly striking Usagi. A smaller bolt struck Akira's arm, knocking him back and burning the skin, but not hurting him too bad. However, a much bigger bolt struck the upper floor walkway right above Naru. The redhead screamed in terror as tons of rubble came crashing down towards her.

"CHIRYU: MUCHI!"

Acting on instinct, Akira shot a blood tendril towards Naru and yanked her out from under the collapsing balcony, savings her from certain death. The young girl couldn't even comprehend what just happened. Part of her was shaken up from the near-death experience, and the other part was stunned by who her savior was.

Usagi was in a similar state of disbelief. "What? W-Why…?" she asked as if Akira could hear her.

The soldiers, despite how weak they were, could still register what had happened, but that didn't mean they understood it. Why did this monster save Naru? It went against everything they knew about the enemy up until his point.

Akira himself had numerous conflicting thoughts running through his mind. He had saved an innocent life, and now it was time to finish the Sailor Soldiers. And yet… he felt that it wasn't right to do that now. Surely, he had them in a helpless position, and he had every reason to kill them now and restore Kunzite's honor, but doing that here and now just seemed wrong for some incomprehensible reason.

"JINSEI NO KAIFUKU!"

The vampire aimed his hand at the three soldiers, and in mere seconds, their skin returned to its normal color and their energy came back. He followed this by releasing the security guards from their bonds. Once all was said and done, he began to walk away from his crowd of victims.

"Wait!"

A familiar high-pitched voice gave Akira cause for pause. When he turned around, he surprised to see the blonde-haired girl running after him. He was even more shocked when she grabbed his arm.

"Usa-uh… Miss! Get away from him!" Mars called out.

"Why did you do that?" Usagi asked the monster. "Please, tell me why you saved all of them!"

"Let go of me, human!" Akira snapped. He shook the small girl off his arm, but immediately felt a sharp pain shoot through him. He saw the wound that Sailor Jupiter's thunder had inflicted on him.

"You're hurt…" Usagi said, reaching out to him.

"Don't touch me!" Akira hissed, pulling away from the blonde.

"Wait, please! I can heal you!" Usagi said.

Akira raised an eyebrow. "You can what?"

Seizing her chance, Usagi grabbed hold of Akira's arm again, only this time the vampire didn't resist. She leaned over his wound and blinked out the tears that still lingered in her eyes. The tiny drops of water dropped down onto Akira's arm and seeped into the burn mark. A small glow shone from Akira's skin for a moment, and when it faded, his arm was back to normal, free of injury.

"You…" Akira said, dumbfounded. "But… I tried to…"

Akira's voice trailed off, but Usagi couldn't think of anything to say in response. Before anything else could be said between them, Akira stepped back and swished his cape around his body. In a flash of red fabric, the monster was gone, vanishing into thin air.

"Usagi!" Naru cried, running up to her friend and hugging her tightly. "Are you okay?"

The blonde hugged her friend back. "Yeah… I'm fine," she consoled.

Naru looked over to the Sailor Soldiers. "Thank you all so much! You guys are so awesome!"

The three soldiers were a little confused, knowing they hadn't exactly saved the day, but accepted the compliment anyway. "You're very welcome, madam!" Mars said heroically.

"All in a day's work!" Mercury announced.

"And don't forget to work hard, study hard, and love everyone!" Jupiter finished. The other two just looked at her awkwardly, but the brunette compensated by being to first to leave.

"Seriously, this is why I make the speeches," Usagi mumbled.

"They're so cool!" Naru squealed. Once she was done fangirling, she looked back to her blonde friend with concern. "By the way, what did you say to him? How did you make him just leave like that?"

For a moment, Usagi considered telling her redheaded friend he truth, but decided to go with the flow and tell yet another fib. "I just talked a little sense into him," she said with a smile.

* * *

Off in a remote area of the city, Akira sat on the edge of a roof, inspecting his healed arm. His sense of uncertainty couldn't settle on either the fact that a human had the ability to heal him as such, or the fact that a human would even help him in the first place. Why had she done it when he had put her life in danger mere moments ago?

Lost in his own thoughts, Akira failed to notice the presence that had appeared behind him. "Are you alright, Akira?" a calm voice asked.

Akira recognized the voice with ease, but didn't look at it's owner. "Yes," he said simply.

"Why didn't you kills the Sailor Soldiers?" Kunzite asked, walking up next to his trooper.

"Are you angry with me?" Akira responded with a question.

Kunzite thought about what he was going to say next for a moment. "I'm not going to lie; yes, I am a little angry," he admitted. "So why did you not kill them?"

Akira gripped his arm, trying to suppress his frustration. "I had the Soldiers in my hands, but then a human girl was put in harm's way, so I felt obligated to save her life. After that, I couldn't muster up the will to end their lives."

"And what is your excuse for restoring their conditions?" Kunzite pressed.

This time, Akira responded immediately. "There is no honor in fighting crippled opponents! If I am to face them again, they must be at full strength!"

Kunzite was getting angry now. He grabbed Akira's collar and pulled him to his feet. "This is not about your honor! This is about my life!" The Dark Knight was about to continue, but he stopped when he saw the frightened look in his trooper's eyes. "Forgive me, Akira. I forgot what it is I'm asking of you. Not to mention your life is at stake as well…"

"It's alright, Master Kunzite. The Queen has put us both in a tough situation. I deeply appreciate you making me a last resort, but we must accept that this is our only option," the vampire said. "I promise you that the Sailor Soldiers will die and your life will be saved."

The silver-haired man gave him a light smile. "I look forward to it, my friend."

Kunzite opened up a dimensional door and returned to the Dark Kingdom, leaving Akira to plan his next move. Once his master was gone, Akira looked back down to his arm one more time.

"I will kill the Sailor Soldiers," he repeated to himself. "But first, there is something I must do…"

* * *

Through a thick mist of purple smog, Queen Metalia was watching the conversation between Kunzite and Akira play out, and she didn't like what she was seeing one bit. Every ounce of sympathy and understanding displayed between the two made her growl and snarl. From off in a dark corner of the room, Nephrite and his lover Zoisite were watching the scene play out as well. Nephrite maintained a straight face the whole time, while Zoisite constantly giggled as how, as he put it, 'sweet' the scene was.

"Is something funny, Zoisite?" Metalia asked.

The blonde man ran a hand through his ponytail. "Oh, don't mind me, your majesty. I just find it amusing how much affection Kunzite is showing this monster. I don't think he's even been this way towards Jadeite before!" he laughed.

"Amusing it may be, but it's also concerning," the Queen hissed. "Akira has already made the grave error of sparing the Sailor Soldiers, and yet Kunzite is not punishing him. I believe this monster is far too soft to kill our enemies."

Nephrite scoffed. "Soft just like Kunzite himself…"

The two Dark Knights felt Metalia's essence focus on them. "I want you two to go out and observe Akira. If this sense of morality he possesses puts him out of line again, kill him."

Nephrite stood up eagerly. "At once, your highness!" He reached a hand down to Zoisite. "My dear…"

"You're such a gentleman!" Zoisite giggled as he took Nephrite's hand and stood up.

The Knights began making their way out of Metalia's chamber, but Nephrite stopped just short of the door and walked back over to the glass sphere. "Is there something you need, Nephrite?" Metalia asked impatiently.

"Actually, yes," the brunette confirmed, taking a knee. "I would like you to bestow upon me the Dark Kingdom's forbidden technique."

Zoisite gasped and put a hand over his mouth, while Metalia's essence hissed. "Why on Earth would you request such a thing?" the Dark Queen asked, almost curiously.

"If I am to kill Akira, I do not wish for there to be a confrontation," Nephrite said. "I have no intention of dirtying my hands with the blood of one of Kunzite's pathetic monsters. I want his end to be instantaneous."

Metalia hummed to herself for a moment, then began to glow a bright purple. "As you wish, Nephrite. If you are willing to take the risk…"

A black and white stream of energy flowed gently out of Metalia's sphere, snaked around Nephrite's head several times, then finally plunged into his mouth and down his throat. The man choked for a second, but he soon ignored the pain as he found himself being overwhelmed by a new power. When it was all over, Nephrite collapsed to his hands and knees and Zoisite ran to his side.

"Darling, are you alright?" the blonde man asked frantically.

Nephrite twitched, then slowly stood up with a wicked smile. "I'm more than alright, Zoisite. I feel… incredible!" he declared proudly.

"Why did you do that?" Zoisite demanded. "If you use that technique just once, all of your energy will be sapped in an instant!"

"He understood the risk, and I gave him the power as he requested," Metalia reminded. "He may lose all of his power if he uses this technique, but so long as he gets back here alive, he should be able to recover with time."

Nephrite smiled and saluted the Queen. "I understand, your highness. Thank you for this wonderful gift!"

"Use it wisely," Metlia said. "Remember, it can only be used once."

"I understand," the Knight of Black Roses confirmed. With that, he and Zoisite finally turned around and departed from the Queen's chambers, ready to go out and correct any mistakes that may occur.

* * *

Usagi arrived back home after saying goodbye to Naru. The two had spent the rest of their afternoon plans talking with police until they had to go home for dinner. Of course, they promised to make up for lost time another day. Usagi was just excited to finally put something in her stomach besides a jumbo slushie. Once she was in the house, she pulled in the smell of her mother's gourmet cooking; it was definitely dumpling soup tonight.

"Oh, Usagi, you're home!" Ikuko said cheerily. "Dinner will be ready soon, so go wash up."

"Sure mom!" Usagi chirped. As she walked past the dining room, she heard the distinct sound of pixelated sound effects, and looked over to see her little brother playing a handheld video game. "Shingo! What are you doing? That's mine!"

"I don't see your name on it…" the boy snorted.

Usagi's eyes narrowed. "It's my game and you know it! I saved up my allowance for that thing!"

"Chill, Usagi. You weren't home so I just thought I'd pick it up for awhile," Shingo said. "Ya know, it's actually kinda fun."

"Well, I'm home now, so give it back!" Usagi snapped, reaching over and snatching the game out of his hands.

"Hey! I haven't finished this level yet!" Shingo cried.

Usagi held the game away from the shorter boy. "Well, maybe once you get taller, I'll let you play," she teased.

"Oh, that is it!" Shingo shouted. In a flash, he tackled his sister, and the two were suddenly wrestling in a cartoonish cloud of dust.

Ikuko saw the commotion and stormed over to them. "Why are you two always at each other's throats?!" She reached into the dust cloud and pulled out the handheld game, causing Usagi and Shingo to stop fighting. "Both of you, to your rooms, now. And don't come down until dinner's ready!"

"Ugh, fine!" Shingo huffed.

"But mooom! He took my game!" Usagi whined.

"Yes, well the game is mine now for the rest of the day," Ikuko said, putting it in her pocket. "Now, go to your room!"

Usagi sulked up the stairs, her arms drooping at her sides. She cursed under her breath as she passed Shingo's room, then finally made it to her own room, where she collapsed face-first onto her bed, sighing deeply.

Luna, who had been napping on the bed, was startled awake by the girl's sudden entrance. "What's the matter, Usagi?" she asked.

"Nothing…" the blonde mumbled. "Shingo's just being a jerk again…"

"I see," Luna said. "You know, you should really learn to get along with your siblings. You'll be going off to live on your own before you know it, and you're going to end up missing them."

"I'm sure," Usagi said sarcastically. She thought for a moment, then rolled over and sat on the edge of her bed. "Hey Luna, you always seem to know what to say, so can I ask you something?"

The black cat sat up as well. "Absolutely."

Usagi swallowed, thinking back to the incident at the mall earlier. "Do you… think it's possible for evil people to turn good?"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "What brought this on?"

Usagi considered telling her about Akira, but knew what Luna's answer would be if she did. "I was… just kinda thinking about it today…"

"Hmm…" Luna hummed, deep in thought. "I would say it depends on their values. If somebody does a bad thing for a good reason, I'd say there's a chance to redeem them." She paused. "Say, for example, somebody kills other people out of revenge for killing their family. That person may seem cold-blooded, but the fact that they're avenging their loved ones shows that they cared about others at one point. Therefore, they could have a chance at being a good person again."

"But killing people is unforgivable!" Usagi said suddenly. "No matter who they are!"

"Okay, okay! I was just trying to make a point," Luna assured.

Usagi ceased her little outburst. "I guess I see what you're saying…" She still didn't know why Akira tried to kill her friends, but saved Naru. A monster wouldn't save someone if they didn't have a good heart, right? Regardless, Akira was still out there, and Usagi wanted to get answers before the decision was made to end his life like the other monsters.

* * *

It was a lovely day at the park. Family's sat in the grass enjoying picnics, joggers ran alongside their dogs, women's pushed their children around in strollers, children played tag, and of course there was a homeless man asleep on a bench.

Then suddenly, in front of the fountain, there was a flash of red and a gust of wind, and Akira appeared on the scene. People took one look at him and immediately recognized his abnormal appearance. There had been enough monsters showing up around town for people to know one when they say one. People began running away like their lives depended on it. Women scooped up their children, joggers yanked on their dogs' leashes, and even the homeless man grabbed his cart and got the heck out of there.

Akira looked around at the chaos he had caused, realizing the full extent of the fear his comrades had instilled upon the people of this city. A part of his wished he could talk to these people and convince them that he meant them no harm. However, that was not what he was here to do.

The vampire sat down cross-legged and folded his hands into his lap. A field of red energy formed around him and he began levitating into the air. Surely his presence would attract the attention of the Sailor Soldiers and, with any luck, that girl who had healed him back at the mall.

* * *

It had been nearly an hour since Usagi was sent to her room. The bun-headed girl lay on her bed doing her usual routine of reading manga. Luna was taking a little cat-nap on Usagi's pillow. The blonde was beginning to grow bored, as she had already read through the entirety of her favorite arc of Sailor V. Just then, something caught her attention. It sounded like the news channel on the television downstairs, but she could have sworn she heard the words 'live' and 'monster.' Easing her way out of bed as to not wake Luna, Usagi crept down the stairs to investigate.

The girl hid around the corner to stay out of her mother's sight. The purple-haired woman was still hard at work preparing dinner, while her husband was sitting in the family room watching the news. As Usagi got a closer look at the screen, she saw that it was a live broadcast coming from the park. In the foreground, a woman spoke into a microphone, commenting on the scene. In the background, men in armored SWAT uniforms surrounded a red aura sphere that housed Akira.

"We are live right now at Juuban Central Park where a monster has appeared," the news lady said. "While most monsters have been known to attack citizens without remorse, this one appears to be committing no ill acts whatsoever, at least not yet. As you can see, authorities have the creature surrounded, ready to take action should anyone be put in danger."

Suddenly, Usagi saw Akira disappear behind the news woman, and in a flash, he appeared right next to her. The woman didn't notice him until he snatched the microphone she held out of her hands, upon which she screamed and ran away.

"People of this city," Akira spoke into the microphone. "I mean you no harm. I am merely here to dispose of the Sailor Soldiers per the request of my master." He paused. "However, there is one other thing I must do. I wish to speak with the young girl who calls herself Usagi." With that said, he dropped the microphone and teleported back into his red forcefield before the police could pounce on him.

"He'd better not be talking about our Usagi!" Kenji snapped. "If that creep comes anywhere near her…"

"Relax dear," Ikuko said, cutting him off. "Our daughter is not the only Usagi in town, you know."

Usagi however, having overheard what Akira said, knew exactly who he was talking about. Her mind made up, she ran back upstairs and to her room, where she proceeded to open the window.

"Usa… Usagi?" Luna murmured, stirring from her sleep. The cat's eye went wide when the young girl leapt out of her window. "Usagi!" Luna jumped up and ran to the window, seeing that the girl had somehow made it safely to the ground below. Unsure of why she would do such a thing, Luna jumped out of the window after her.

* * *

It had taken a long, exhausting run, but Usagi finally made it to the scene at Juuban Central Park. She hid behind a tree to avoid being spotted and sent away by the police. At the center of the large police gathering was Akira, still meditating inside his red aura sphere.

"Usagi!"

The bun-headed girl looked behind her and was surprised to see not just Luna, whose voice she heard, but Ami, Rei and Makoto as well. "Guys? What're you doing here?" she asked, confused.

"The better question is what are you doing here?!" Luna responded.

"Are you out of your mind, Bun-Head?" Rei said. "We all saw the news report! There's no way we're letting you go anywhere near that freak!"

"Yeah, just let us go over there and finish the job!" Makoto declared, cracking her knuckles.

Usagi held up her hands. "No! Please, just let me talk to him! I think I can get through to him!"

"Get through to him?" Ami said, bewildered. "Usagi, he tried to kill us!"

"And he also saved Naru!" Usagi cried. The others had no response to this. "Look, I understand that he tried to kill you all. If I didn't see any good in him, I would go out there and disintegrate him on the spot! But… but I do see good in him! Anyone who saves an innocent life for no reason can't be all bad, right?"

Rei suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Usagi's shoulders, staring deep into her eyes. "I'm not letting you go near him," she repeated.

"Rei…" Usagi whispered, placing a hand on the raven-haired girl's own.

Luna came forward as well. "I agree with Rei. When you asked if evil people could turn good, I didn't know you meant this! Believe me, this monster is pure evil just like the rest."

Usagi narrowed her eyes. "If you all kill him before I talk to him, I won't forgive you!" Once again the others had no response. Ami and Makoto looked confused, Luna looked surprised, but Rei looked deeply hurt by the girl's words. "I'm sorry. But please, just grant me my selfish request…"

Slowly but surely, Rei let go of Usagi's shoulders, prompting the young blonde to turn around and walk towards the scene. Nobody said another word nor tried to stop her.

"Akira!" Usagi shouted. The vampire finally looked up from his meditation, and the police turned around with shock. "It's me, Usagi! I'm here!"

"So you've come…" Akira whispered.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" one officer said. "Get out of here now!"

Usagi glared at the man. "He just wants to talk. He's not going to hurt me."

"You're not going near him! You're just a little girl. It's too dangerous!" the officer said firmly. "Get her out of here!"

Two of the officers grabbed Usagi's arms and began to pull her away. "Let go of me! Please, just let me talk to him!" Usagi screamed.

Just then, Akira lowered his force field and stepped down to the ground. "Let me speak with the girl," he said. "If I try to harm her in any way, I will allow you to kill me."

The head officer was taken aback by these words, but it gave him an idea. "Give him the girl! If he tries anything, waste him!" he ordered. The two other policemen let Usagi go, allowing her to walk past the others and toward Akira. The head officer thought to himself: "This monsters' obviously planning something. All we have to do now is wait for it, and then we can take him out!"

"Hi…" Usagi said, looking nervously up at Akira.

"There is no need to fear me," the vampire consoled. "I told you I would not harm you. Now then, are you really willing to speak with me?"

Usagi swallowed. "Yes… I am. What do you want to talk about?" she asked.

"Not here," Akira said.

Usagi looked confused. "What do you mean not-"

Akira suddenly flung his cape around the girl and teleported away. The two were gone in an instant, leaving the cops bewildered and angry.

"That son of a bitch!" the head officer barked. "Everyone, spread out! He can't have gone far!"

As the SWAT officers ran in all directions to search for Akira and Usagi, the three girls and Luna ducked behind the tree to avoid being spotted.

"Dammit, I knew it!" Rei spat, slamming her fist against the tree. "Why do you have to be so stupid, Usagi?!" Tears began to form in the raven-haired girls' eyes.

"Calm down, Rei! I can still feel Usagi's energy. They must have just teleported somewhere," Luna said.

"You can feel our energy?" Makoto asked. "Freaky…"

"We don't have time for this, Makoto!" Rei snapped. "We have to find them now before the monster hurts her!"

Ami held up her communicator. "Usagi was still wearing her communicator, right? We can track her using that!"

"Right, let's go!" Rei said, taking off without the others.

"I've never seen Rei this determined…" Luna said.

"Yeah, you'd think she's in love with Usagi or something…" Makoto scoffed.

Ami suddenly grabbed the tall girl's hand and began pulling her along. "C'mon, Makoto! We have to get moving!"

"Whoa, slow down Big Blue!" Makoto said as she was dragged along by the shorter girl with Luna in tow.

* * *

Usagi opened her eyes and was greeted with an unfamiliar, yet beautiful sight. The sun setting on the edge of the horizon, its orange glow reflecting off the surface of the water, becoming distorted and wavy. Crystal blue waves with foamy white edges crashed gently against the edge of a wooden platform that had several boats hooked to it. She realized that Akira had brought her to the Tokyo docks.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, looking up to the tall monster next to her.

"Views help me think," Akira stated, brushing a few strands of hair behind his remaining ear.

"Oh," Usagi said before breaking into a giggling fit.

Akira looked down at her. "Did I say something funny?"

Usagi covered her mouth to stop her chuckles. "No, no… that's just such a brooding thing to say. Are you a bad boy?"

"Bad… boy? Are you asking if I'm evil?" the vampire asked, clearly confused.

'No, I meant… oh, never mind," Usagi said. "Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

Akira walked over to the edge of the docks. "I wanted to know why you healed my arm. I'm a monster just like the others that have come to this city, so why would an ordinary girl like you help me when every other person views us as the enemy?"

"I don't think you're the enemy!" Usagi squeaked. Akira turned around, surprised by her straightforwardness. This caused Usagi to blush a little. "I-I mean… you may be a monster, but you saved my friend today at the mall. Someone evil wouldn't just do that unless they had a good heart!" The young blonde walked over to Akira and sat down on the edge of the dock. "I may not know you personally, but I can tell you're not like the others."

Akira looked surprised for a moment, then his expression calmed and he sat down next to the girl. "I can't tell if you're optimistic or just foolish…"

"Hey!" Usagi snapped. "You meanie! What's wrong with seeing potential in others?"

The vampire's face turned sour again at this remark. "Others seeing my potential is how I became like this in the first place."

"W-What do you mean?" Usagi asked, sounding anxious.

Akira sighed. "I wasn't always the monster you see before you…"

* * *

Amidst a decimated, flaming landscape, a lone warrior stood holding a blood-covered sword. His legs were spread wide, trying to maintain his balance. Three trails of crimson blood covered his face, some of it trickling into his mouth. In front of him was a towering black and purple mass. It appeared to be shapeless and featureless, save for a pair of devilish red eyes that sat near the top of its form.

"Queen Metalia, you will perish for what you have done to my kinsmen! Today, your reign will be brought to an end my my sword!" the warrior shouted.

With a mighty battle cry, he charged at the dark mass with his sword held high. Several gnarled hands emerged from the mass and streaked towards him, but he was able to slash them away with relative ease. Now only feet away from Metalia, he leapt high into the air, aiming for the spot where her eyes were. Just as he was about to land a killing blow, a thin beam of dark energy shot out from between Metalia's eyes and phased through the warrior's chest, leaving him with a singed hole right where his esophagus should be.

The warrior fell to the ground and dropped his sword, clutching his chest as if to suppress the pain. Suddenly, another dark beam shot through the arm holding his wound. His free arm reached up to grab his now injured one, but Metalia shot a dark beam through that one as well. The evil queen began to wail on the helpless soldier, shooting an endless barrage of dark energy beam though his body, hitting everything but his vital organs to ensure that he suffered.

"Your kinsmen may have been met with quick and painless deaths," Metalia hissed. "But you have come closer to slaying me than any of them. Thus, I will take my time with disposing you…"

Metalia shot another dark beam, this time slicing off his right ear. The warrior cried out in pain. Despite his agony, he reached up with his injured arm to try and hold the spot where his ear used to be, only to have Metalia shoot him in the shoulder and permanently disable his arm.

"I'm going to enjoy this!" Metalia announced, almost with a hint of glee.

Another bright purple light shot from the Queen's forehead, aiming for the warrior's chest again. Suddenly, with a mighty gust of wind, a man in a white uniform jumped in the path of the beam and deflected it with his own sword.

"Kunzite!" the Queen spat. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The Dark Knight quickly dropped to one knee. "Forgive me, my Queen! I know I am out of line, but I beg of you to spare this man!"

"You fool… step aside or I will kill you as well!" Metalia roared, charging up another beam.

"Please, your majesty!" Kunzite begged. "This warrior is the only of his kind to best me in combat! I believe it would be unwise to waste such potential!"

Metalia halted her attack. "Potential?" she asked.

"If we were to make this man a part of my army, we could become unstoppable!" Kunzite said. "He could be of great use to the Dark Kingdom!"

Queen Metalia hummed, as if thinking to herself. Her red eyes closed for a brief moment, then snapped back open. "Do not make me regret this…"

A red aura, much softer than her dark energy beams, drifted out of the Queen's eyes and down towards the fallen warrior. The aura surrounded him and lifted him into the air. Slowly, his body began to change and distort. This skin went from tan to ghostly pale, his hair became blue, his nails grew long and sharp, his uniform changed from silver to pitch black, a long red cape swished out from his shoulders, and his eyes distorted into a piercing yellow. Above all, however, every wound that Metalia inflicted on him sealed up and healed.

"From this day forth, young warrior, your name shall be Akira, soldier of the Dark Kingdom!" Metalia declared. With that said, the aura disappeared from around Akira and he fell to the ground. "Bring him, Kunzite."

As Metalia's dark form drifted away, Kunzite ran up to the reborn monster and picked him up. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"You… should have just… let me die…" Akira panted.

Kunzite slung the monster's arm over his shoulder. "I would never allow someone as brave and honorable as you to perish at the hands of our sadistic Queen."

* * *

A single tear fell from Akira's eye as he reached up and touched his missing ear. "It's been so long since that day, I can't even remember my real name." He dug his nails into the side of his head, creasing the skin but not piercing it. "I should hate Kunzite for what he did, but now, after all these years, I've found myself being thankful to him. However evil they may be, his army of monsters has almost become like a second family to me…"

He was cut off by Usagi throwing her arms around him. "W-What are you doing?"

"You just looked like you needed a hug," the blonde said simply. "I can't imagine how you felt being the only real human amongst all those monsters."

Akira's face fell again. "I… wasn't the only human…"

Usagi quickly pulled back. "What?"

"All of Kunzite's monsters were once humans as well," Akira said with dismay. "Until they were exposed to Queen Metalia's dark energy. She corrupted their minds and warped their bodies into the abominations that terrorized your city."

"They were… h-humans?" Usagi asked, her voice trembling and her eyes watering.

"Indeed," Akira responded. "Even though the Sailor Soldiers are our enemy, I must thank them for ending the lives of those monsters. Their bodies may have been monsters, but their humans souls were trapped in a life of suffering for centuries. Their deaths were ultimately a mercy in the grand scheme of things."

"Oh my gosh…" Usagi whimpered.

"But that is why I must not fail!" Akira said suddenly. "I will rectify the failures of those monsters by killing the Sailor Soldiers! Then my Master Kunzite will be safe from Metalia's wrath!"

Usagi broke out of her trance. "Wait, no! You can't kill them!"

"I can and I must," the vampire said. "It's the only way to save Kunzite!"

The blonde girl grabbed onto Akira's arm. "Please don't kill them! I know the Sailor Soldiers, and they can help you! You were human once, right? I think they can find a way to bring you back to who you were!"

"Silence!" Akira shouted, having Usagi away. "I have nothing left to say to you, Usagi. I will kill the Sailor Soldiers without fail!" He turned to go, but paused and looked back at her one more time. "Besides, it's too late for me anyway…"

"Making new friends, Akira?"

The two were startled, and quickly looked around to identify the intruding voice. They finally settled on a pair of men sitting atop one of the boats parked next to the docks.

"Nephrite… Zoisite…" Akira hissed.

The brunette man leapt down to the ground. "Aren't monsters like you supposed to kill humans and not befriend them? What on Earth would the Queen think of this?"

Akira put himself between Usagi and the Dark Knight. "I don't care what the Queen thinks. I'm here to kill the Sailor Soldiers, not any innocent humans."

Nephrite smiled. "At least you have your priorities straight. Very well, I'll let you go on your way. Just leave this little girl to me…" He began to walk towards Usagi, but was stopped when Akira put his arm out.

"On the contrary, I'll let you go on your way, provided you stay away from her," Akira hissed angrily.

Nephrite looked at the monster disappointedly and shook his head. Without warning, he flicked his wrist and sent a single black rose flying at Akira. The sharp tip of the flower embedded itself into his shoulder, causing him to grunt in pain. Nephrite proceeded to take out his Rose Staff and twirl it in the air.

"CHIRYU: MUCHI!"

Akira unleashed one of his blood tendrils at the Dark Knight, but it was easily torn in half by the Rose Staff. Nephrite grinned and charged at his adversary, aiming the tip of the Rose Staff at the vampire's throat.

"CHIRYU: BANPAIA!"

Nephrite suddenly stopped his advances, dropped his staff and collapsed to his knees. He felt as if all the fluids in his body were being sucked away. He looked up and saw Akira making a odd hand gesture, clearly the source of this technique. He looked at the monster with utter hatred, while Akira just glared back with a smile.

"BRIMSTONE HAMMER!"

Akira was caught off guard when a large rock of brimstone smashed into the side of his head and sent him flying across the docks. Nephrite soon recovered from the draining feeling and looked up at his lover, giving him a nod and a smile. Zoisite just waved back in a flirtatious manner.

"Akira!" Usagi screamed. She ran over to the downed monster and lifted his head, inspecting the large bloody gash it now bore. "Don't give up…"

"Why… are you… still here?!" Akira asked frustratedly.

"I'm not leaving you!" Usagi declared. She began to pull Akira to his feet. "I'm going to take you to the Sailor Soldiers and have them help you!"

Akira winced as he got up. "Spare me your pity…"

"Well, well… two birds with one stone!" Nephrite laughed, seeing how close the two were together. He took aim and pointed at them with two fingers, a black and white aura forming around his fingertips.

As Akira got to his feet, he looked back over to Nephrite ready to challenge him again, but gasped when he saw what he was doing. "That stance… Usagi, move!" With one mighty shove, he got the young girl away from his just in time.

"BLACK SOUL CANNON!"

There was an explosive sound that resembled a sonic boom, but no projectile attack came from Nephrite's fingers. Despite this, Akira's body suddenly flew back as if he were hit by a train. His eyes instantly went blank, and blood trickled out of his mouth.

"NO!" Usagi cired, running to the vampire's side once again. "Akira! Akira, are you okay?!" She got no response this time. Akira's body was completely limp, and his skin was already beginning to turn grey. Even as Usagi was still trying to shake him awake, the monster crumbled away into a pile of ashes.

At that very moment, Ami, Rei, Makoto and Luna came running onto the scene, and the first thing they saw was Usagi leaning over a pile of dust and crying. "Usagi? What are you doing?" Rei shouted.

They got no response from the girl, but instead were greeted by the sound of Nephrite laughing out loud. "The forbidden technique truly is powerful! I didn't think its effects would be instantaneous, but then again, I was using it on that weak little waste of skin!"

Usagi's crying ceased at once. Her eyes went from tearful and sad to red and enraged. She stood up and glared and Nephrite without a word, then reached into her pocket and took out her Transformation Brooch.

"Usagi, no!" Luna cried. "Don't give away your identity!"

"I don't care!" Usagi screamed.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

Nephrite shielded his eyes as the blonde girl was surrounded by a radiant pink aura. When the light faded, he was met with a girl in a sailor uniform who wore the same hairstyle as the blonde girl he saw seconds ago.

"You…" Nephrite gasped. "You're her…"

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

Luna was in shock. She couldn't believe what Usagi just did. She was even more shocked, however, when she began walking towards Nephrite without a hint of fear. "Girls, transform quickly!"

"But Luna-" Ami began.

"She can't fight those two alone, no matter how angry she is!" Luna raised her voice. "Transform now!"

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

"JUPITER POWER! MAKE UP!"

Once the others were garbed in their sailor uniforms, they ran up next to Sailor Moon and stood by her side.

"Ha! You're all fools! Unless you plan on killing me, then you were fools to give away your identities!" Nephrite laughed.

"I was planning on it," Sailor Moon said coldly.

"Wait, what?!" Nephrite spat.

"All together now, everyone!" Moon shouted to her fellow soldiers.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

All four of the Sailor Soldiers' attacks combined into one massive white, blue, red and green disk of death. The attack sailed towards Nephrite, ready to end the Dark Knight's life at any moment.

The brunette man made an attempt to summon his Rose Staff for protection, but no such protection came into his grasp. "No… the forbidden technique drained all of my energy! I'm defenseless!"

Just as the elemental disk was about to sick it's wrath on Nephrite, Zoisite jumped in the way and summoned a massive Brimstone Hammer, which the Soldiers' attack collided with.

"Zoisite!" Nephrite said.

"Open a dimensional door! We have to get out of here!" the blonde man cried.

"No, we can't fail the Queen!" Nephrite shot back.

"You're in no condition to fight and I can beat all four of them on my own!" Zoisite yelled. "Akira is dead, so our mission is complete! Open a door now!"

"Dammit, they're escaping!" Sailor Jupiter grunted.

"Keep pushing! We can't let them get away with this!" Sailor Moon screamed with all her might. The other soldiers put every ounce of strength they had into their attack, and soon, the Brimstone Hammer began to break. After a few cracks, the golden boulder shattered into a hundred pieces. Unfortunately, Nephrite and Zoisite were already gone, and the girls' elemental disk sailed off over the water's surface before eventually dispersing.

* * *

Kunzite leaned against the hallway walls, arms crossed over his chest. Although, it was more like her was hugging himself, trying to suppress the intense anxiety that flowed through his body. He was disturbed all of a sudden when he heard the sounds of footsteps coming down the hall. He looked up and saw Nephrite and Zoisite approaching with wide smiles on their faces. Their eyes bored into the Knight of Shadows as they passed by him.

"What are you two smiling about?" Kunzite asked, annoyed.

Nephrite stopped walking. "Do you think we should tell him, dear?"

"Oh, I don't know," Zoisite sighed. "It's such a tragedy… I don't know if he can handle it!"

"A tragedy? What are you talking about?" Kunzite demanded.

Zoisite looked over his shoulder, grinning maliciously. "You're in big trouble now, Kunzy!" the blonde man giggled.

"Akira is dead. He was destroyed by the Sailor Soldiers just like the rest of your miserable monsters," Nephrite sneered. "I can't wait until the Queen hears about your final failure!"

Nephrite and his lover walked away, laughing to themselves, leaving Kunzite in a state of complete shock. So many emotions were flooding his mind at once that he was unable to withstand it all. The silver-haired man collapsed to his knees, then fell forward onto his hands.

"Dammit…" he snarled, scratching his nails against the stone floor. He began smashing his fist into the stone, cracking it with each blow. "Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!"

Kunzite's outburst came to an end, with the floor now bearing a crater twice the size of his fist. The crater soon began to fill with water as teardrops fell from the man's face. The Dark Knight stayed in that position for nearly an hour, broken and riddled with feelings of anger, sadness, confusion, fear, but most of all, self-hatred.

* * *

Rei and Makoto finished piling Akira's ashes into the body of Usagi's jacket. When that was done, Usagi tied the sleeves into a knot, forming a makeshift sack. She took the jacket to the edge of the dock, shutting her eyes tight one more time, then thrust it into the ar, scattering the ashes across the surface of the water. The young girl watched with sorrow as the remains of the most human monster she had ever met were carried away by the current.

"Usagi," Rei said, walking up to her friend. "Are you okay?"

The blonde suddenly clenched her first, causing Rei to back up. "We could have helped him… we killed all the others, but I know we could have saved him…"

"What are you talking about?" the raven-haired girl asked.

"Every monster we've ever fought!" Usagi cried, showing Rei her tear-filled eyes. "They were all good people who got turned into monsters! That's what Akira told me!"

"Usagi, you know he could have been lying," Luna said.

"Shut up!" Usagi screamed, shocking all of her friends. "He wasn't lying, I know it! All of those people are dead because of us! We killed them!"

Luna, Ami and Makoto had no response. They all just stood there taking in what Usagi said. Rei, however, stepped forward, raised her hand, and smacked Usagi across the face.

"Rei!" Ami cried.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Makoto shouted.

Usagi looked at Rei with fear, but the girl just glared back at her with passionate eyes. "Don't be stupid, Usagi! Even if Akira was telling the truth, there's no way we could've known any of that! Do you think that if those monsters still knew they were human, they would have tried to kill us? I don't think so! There was no hope for them! They may have been good people in the past, but by killing them we protected the good people of this city! And if you ask me, that's all that matters now!"

Usagi was about to say something, but then Ami stepped in. "Rei is right, Usagi. We shouldn't focus on the people we could have saved, because there's nothing we can do for them now. We need to keep moving forward and fight for those we can still save!"

"And if the Dark Kingdom gets in our way," Makoto said, cracking her knuckles. "We'll just go right through them!"

Usagi tried to respond again, but she was cut off again by Rei pulling her into a hug. "Please, don't blame yourself for what happened," she said in a comforting tone. "I hate it when you get upset like this. Nothing that's happened is your fault, I promise."

Ami went up and hugged Usagi as well, while Luna jumped up to the girl's shoulder and nuzzled against her. Makoto hesitated for a second, but then rolled her eyes and embraced the blonde with her strong arms.

'Thanks guys," Usagi said faintly. "You're the best friends I could ask for…"

~A Suivre~


	19. Kunzite's Last Stand Part 1

Here's Chapter 19! So, it's practically become a cliche for me to apologize for the late update at this point, but I just moved back into college and the process had left me with little free time to write. I deeply appreciate all of my readers who are patient with me and continue to read this story however long it takes me to update. Anyway, this is the first part to the ending of "Act One" of my story, so to say. We're coming up on chapter 20, I plan to have 60 chapters in total, the story is split into three acts... you do the math. Hope you all enjoy this long overdue chapter!

P.S. We're really getting down to the nitty-gritty of this story, so I would love for any of my readers to give more critical feedback. I love reading others' opinions on my work and seeing how I can improve it.

* * *

Chapter 19: Kunzite's Last Stand Part 1

Kunzite stood stoutly before his Great Ruler. He did not grovel, he did not salute, nor did he attempt to make any excuses. Not one single sound or movement emanated from his body. It was as if he was frozen in time by fear. He knew there was nothing he could do at this point to repent for his countless failures.

"Well, Kunzite…" Queen Metalia said, breaking the silence. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" The Dark Knight remained silent. "Did I misspeak? I asked if you had anything to say for yourself."

Kunzite realized that keeping his mouth shut was not an option, despite no acceptable responses forming in his mind. "I apologize for my consistent failures. I apologize for wasting your time and our resources. I apologize for letting you down, my Queen."

"Is that all?" Metalia asked.

"Yes…" Kunzite responded solemnly.

"Very well," Metalia sighed.

ZAP!

A bolt of dark lightning burst from Mertalia's glass sphere and engulfed Kunzite, lifting him into the air. The burning sensation Kunzite experienced was indescribable. It felt as if every last cell in his body was being torn apart. He knew that Queen Metalia intended to sentence him to death for his failures, but he did not know it would be this excruciating. His mind raced to have him beg the Queen either for forgiveness or a quick end, but the pain was so great that the only thing that escaped his lips was an agonized scream.

"Farewell, Kunzite. It was an honor to have you serve under me," Metalia said with a hint of sympathy in her voice. Her essence began to charge up a thin beam of dark energy, aimed right at Kunzite's heart.

In one last ditch effort, the silver-haired man gathered up every bit of strength he had and shouted the first thing the came to his mind. "Wait! Let me kill them myself!"

The dark beam stopped just short of Kunzite's body. It sat there for a second like a spear ready to pierce the man's body, and then it dissipated along with the black electricity that held him. The Knight of Shadows collapsed to the floor and fell to his hands and knees, gasping for air and coughing up a small amount of blood.

"You had better hurry up and explain, Kunzite," Metalia demanded.

The injured man gathered his strength and slowly pushed himself to his feet. If he was going to get this across to the Queen, he could not look weak in front of her. "I… I will kill the Sailor Soldiers with my own hands! I will succeed where my monsters have failed!"

Queen Metalia was quick to scoff at his declaration. "If I do recall, the Sailor Soldiers have defeated you twice already, and the second time you had help from the other Knights. What makes you so sure you can defeat them on your own this time?" she asked, the doubt eminent in her voice.

"My first defeat was because they figured out a weakness I didn't know I had! And our second encounter was not even a defeat! You called us off-" He made sure to stop his last sentence short. "Forgive my brash tone, your majesty, but I am sure that with the right strategy, I can defeat the Sailor Soldiers, or at least kill one of them!"

Queen Metalia let out a long, grumbling hiss, like that of an alligator. She was clearly not buying it. "Surely, you must understand why I have little faith in your words, Kunzite."

Kunzite bowed his head. "I understand fully and completely, but if you allow me this one last chance, I promise you that the Sailor Soldiers will either be dead or crippled."

Metalia was silent for a moment, taking Kunzite's claim into careful consideration. "Fine. If you can kill just one of the Sailor Soldiers, I will spare your life. Just know that if you even think about returning empty handed, I will end your life," the Queen declared firmly.

"Thank you, my Queen!" Kunzite quickly took a knee and bowed his head again, trying to hide the relieved tears that leaked from his eyes. Once he blinked them away, he stood up and saluted his Great Ruler. "I assure you, you will not regret this decision!"

"I had better not. Now, get out!" Metalia ordered.

Without a moment of hesitation, Kunzite walked out the doors to the Queen's chamber and shut them behind him. However, even after exiting the room, he continued to walk backwards until his back hit the wall across the hall, where his knees buckled and he clutched his head, trying desperately to keep his resolve and hold back his panic.

"You have absolutely no ideas how you're going to fulfill your promise, do you?"

Kunzite turned to face the voice that was upon him. It was Nephrite and Zoisite, gazing down upon him with mocking grins.

"Were you two eavesdropping?" Kunzite asked angrily. "You know that is forbidden!"

"Oh, Kunzite… I believe you have more important things to worry about than us listening in on your pathetic excuse for a promise," Zoisite giggled.

Nephrite shook his head in disappointment. "Akira was stronger than you, and yet the Sailor Soldiers were able to defeat him. How can you still tell the Queen that you will not fail her?"

"I will find a way. I have no intention of dying while you two look down upon me!" Kunzite shouted, pushing past the two other Knights and storming down the hall.

Nephrite grinned maliciously. "You know, even though my respect for you has faded, that doesn't mean my feelings have."

Kunzite paused when he heard this. "What are you talking about?" he asked, not bothering to turn around.

"While I do not view you as the competent and strong leader you once were, I still look to you as a friend," Nephrite said with sincerity, while trying to hide a sarcastic smile. "And as you friend, I want to help you kill the Sailor Soldiers."

"I will not allow you to interfere with our battle, Nephrite!" Kunzite snapped.

"Hold on, I never said anything about interfering, Kunzite," Nephrite said, holding up his hands defensively. "I simply wish to give you some information that could be useful in your confrontation with the Sailor Soldiers."

"What could you possibly know about the Sailor Soldiers that I don't already?" the Knight of Shadows huffed.

Nephrite grinned again. "More than you know, my friend. You see, Zoisite and I witnessed Akira's death at the hands of the Soldiers. However, before the fight started, we were able to catch something most… interesting…"

* * *

Black and white dots danced across a television screen while a scratching sound hissed through the speakers. "Dang it, what happened to this thing?" Motoki grunted, adjusting the wires every which way.

While that was going on, Usagi was doing her usual schtick of raging over the Sailor V game. "AUGH! This thing is rigged! I can never get past level sixteen!" She leaned over and shouted to the arcade owner. "Mooki! Is there a way to set this game to easy?"

"Sorry Usa, I'm kinda in the middle of something," Motoki responded. "But it if makes you feel better, you're already playing on easy."

"How is that supposed to make me feel better, Mooki?!" the blonde squealed in frustration.

Across the room, Ami, Rei, and Makoto were enjoying the bun-headed girl's antics while sipping away at a couple of milkshakes. "I can't believe she's already wasted half of her allowance on that game. How irresponsible…" Ami chastised.

"I can't believe her parents still give her an allowance with how often she blows it," Makoto snickered.

Rei just huffed with annoyance. "I can't believe she still calls him Mooki all the time. Seriously, what's with her and the nicknames?"

"It doesn't seem to bother you when she calls you ReiRei," the brunette interjected.

A faint hue of pink crossed Rei's cheeks. "I-It does bother me! I just… don't want to be mean!"

Makoto snorted at this. "Not counting all the other times you're mean to her?"

Before Rei could shoot back, Luna jumped up on the table. "Alright, let's not get into another fight, girls. Don't forget why I asked you all to come here."

"Honestly, I'm just here to get a turn at that game myself," Makoto said, leaning back in her seat. "Maybe I'll finally beat Big Blue's high score…"

"C'mon Makoto, focus!" Luna chided. "Aren't you the least bit concerned that there hasn't been a monster attack in nearly a week?"

The tall girl just yawned. "Not really. If anything, it's been a relief. Maybe those bastards finally got the hint that they can't touch us."

"She does have a point, Luna," Rei agreed. "I think all signs point to Akira being the last monster they had at their disposal. Plus, I haven't felt any negative energy around the city this entire time."

"You sure you're psycho powers aren't on the fritz again?" Makoto intruded.

Rei glared at her. "It's psyCHIC, and for your information, my abilities have been improving quite significantly!"

"And yet you still can't detect how much of a loser you are…" the brunette said, grinning.

The raven-haired girl's eyes turned red and she prepared to pounce on the Soldier of Thunder. Just then, a high-pitched screech pierced through the television Motoki was fixing, forcing all of the girls, and cat, to cover their ears. The static on the screen began to sway and swirl like digital waves, before they eventually began to take the shape of a person with long hair. While the image never quite came through, the voice that spoke through the speakers was crystal clear. A chill ran down the girls' spines as they recognized who it was.

"Greetings, citizens of Tokyo," the voice said in a icy cold tone. "My name is Kunzite, leader of the Dark Kingdom's royal army. For a great many months now, my monsters have been at war with your protectors, the Sailor Soldiers. However, I am now prepared to take up the mantle and face those protectors myself. Sailor Soldiers, Sailor V and Tuxedo Mask, if you can hear me, I challenge you to a battle. I am going to fight all six of you myself. If you choose to accept this, meet me at the Juuban District Park fountain at midnight on May the First. If you do not show, I will expose your true identities to the world."

With another loud screech and a short blip, the static disappeared and the teveltison went blank. Ami, Rei, Makoto, Luna and Motoki had all gone dead silent, stunned by what had just happened.

"Hey, why's everyone so quiet?" Usagi asked, finally looking up from the Sailor V game.

* * *

As Kunzite finished his speech, he dispersed the dark energy he had energized the radio tower's antenna with. He pulled his hand from the enormous steel rod that extended into the air. Now that his message had been sent, he just had to hope that it reached the Sailor Soldiers.

"If all goes as planned, I should be safe from my weakness," Kunzite said to himself. As his cape billowed out in the wind, he began to walk away from the tower antenna, but stopped short when he felt a tightening in his chest. "What… what is that power?"

The silver-haired man ran back to the antenna and placed his hand upon it once again. He concentrated and tried to seek out of the source of the disturbance he was sensing. Sure enough, there was a massive congregation of human energy emanating from the radio tower he stood upon. He had never felt something so grand in his entire life.

"Why is there so much of it? It's overwhelming!" Kunzite searched the recesses of his mind for an answer. Could there be someone working here who possessed an incredible amount of energy? "No, that can't be it… it must be because of all the people who work here. Yes, of course! That's the answer," he told himself repeatedly.

With that settled, Kunzite stepped away from the antenna once again. He opened a dimensional door and prepared to step through it. Still, he had to turn back and look at the tower one last time. Something just didn't feel right. Chalking it up to just the anxiety he had been experiencing recently, Kunzite shut his eyes and hastily walk through the doorway.

* * *

"Ohmanohmanohmanohmanwhatarewegonnado?!" Usagi babbled, having just been informed on everything she missed.

"Perhaps if you were paying attention, this wouldn't be such big news to you," Luna remarked.

Usagi pouted at the black cat. "I feel like I'd be freaking out either way!"

"There's so many things about this that don't make sense…" Ami said, pinching her chin in thought. "Nephrite must have told him our identities, but why not just expose us and put our friends and family in danger? Furthermore, why does he want to fight us specifically on that day?"

"Maybe he's just buying time because he knows we'll kick his ass," Makoto said arrogantly. "We've done it before, and we'll do it again!"

"And that's what's concerning me," Rei interjected. "He must remember when we bested him at the masquerade ball, and that was even without Makoto's help. I don't think he'd challenge us again if he didn't have a plan of some sort."

Luna sat down at the middle of the group to get all of their attention. "I think Rei has a good point. This must be a setup of some kind. The best course of action we have at the moment is to be prepared for anything."

"How do we do that? The Dark Kingdom hasn't exactly been predictable lately," Rei asked.

Makoto snapped her fingers. "I got it!" She looked over to Rei. "Why don't we just do what you do and fight fire with fire?"

The raven-haired girl couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "What…?"

"She means to say that we should make a plan of our own," Ami said, translating Makoto's words.

"Exactly!" the brunette grinned. "We'll just have to think of our own trap and spring it before that silver-haired bastard can spring his!"

"Great idea, Mako! You're so smart!" Usagi beamed. Ami, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at the blonde with mild frustration.

Rei was quiet for a moment, then perked up. "For once, I actually agree with you. After all, this is the first time that we know when a battle is coming. We should definitely take this opportunity to make a plan." While the others smiled at Rei's approval, the young martial artist took a moment to think even further. "In fact, I just thought of a great place we can prepare for said plan!"

"Where's that?" Luna asked.

Rei smirked and flipped her long black hair over her shoulder. "My dojo, of course!"

"Great idea, Rei! You're so smart!" Usagi chirped, garnering another scowl from Ami.

"Are you sure about that, Rei?" Luna asked, concerned. "Won't the dojo get damaged if you rehearse your plan as Sailor Soldiers?"

Everyone seemed to take this into consideration, but no one had an immediate solution. "What if we just don't transform?" Usagi chimed in. "We can stay in our normal forms, and use objects as substitutes for our attacks! Like… I could use a frisbee for Moon Tiara Boomerang and a flashlight for Moon Twilight Flash!"

Rei's eyes went a bit wide. "I didn't expect you to contribute such a good idea, Bun-Head."

"I know, right? I'm so smart!" Usagi said cheerily. It took Ami all of her will to not explode at that point.

Makoto punched a fist into her palm. "Looks like it's settled then! We'll meet at the dojo this weekend and plan out how we're gonna sock that asshole in his handsome jawline!" Everyone shot the tall girl a look. "What? Just because he's evil doesn't mean he's not good looking!"

* * *

Mamoru stared at the television screen in his apartment, which had turned to static after Kunzite's message came to an end. He found himself spacing out, just staring at the screen and trying to comprehend what he just heard. However, he was quickly snapped out of his trance by a warm and yet needy hug from his redheaded girlfriend.

"Don't go…" was all she could say.

Mamoru reached up and ran his hands through the girl's curled scarlet locks. "You know that's not an option for me."

"The Sailor Soldiers can handle him!" Naru squeaked, looking up at her boyfriend with pleading eyes.

"What if they can't?" Mamoru asked, his tone a little rough. "Besides, we both know that Tuxedo Mask will take over my body as soon as the fighting starts!"

Naru was silent for a moment, searching her head for another answer. "I'll… tie you down to your bed… I'll think of something! Just please, promise me you won't go!"

The young girl buried her face into Mamoru's shoulder and wept. The dark-haired boy held her tight and stroked her back, trying to calm her down. "Come on, have I ever lost a fight before? If anything, I'm always the one who saves the Sailor Soldiers," he chuckled. He placed a hand on Naru's cheek and lifted her face up so their eyes met. "Who's your big strong superhero?"

"Y-You…" Naru wept, still unable to control her anxiety.

Mamoru could see that his upbeat attitude wasn't consoling her like he thought it would. On impulse, he switched to another solution. "Alright then, how about I spend the entire weekend with you?"

"Eh…?" Naru said faintly.

"May First isn't until Sunday," he pointed out. "Which means we have the whole weekend to ourselves."

"Oh Mamoru!" the redhead cried, crashing into her boyfriends once against and pushing him back into the couch. "I love you so much!"

The young man returned her embrace with tenderness. "I love you too," he said calmly. "I promise that nothing will happen to me. I swear it…"

* * *

The next day, Usagi, Ami and Makoto all went to Rei's dojo to make a game plan for their big fight coming up. As usual though, Usagi was running behind schedule. She burst through the doors of the Tai Chi dojo, panting and sweating like she'd just run the entire Great Wall of China.

"Are you ever going to be on time, Bun-Head?" Rei asked, annoyed.

"I will once you install an escalator instead of those stupid stairs!" Usagi panted.

"Maybe the stairs wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't eaten that massive plate of pancakes before coming here," Luna chastised, walking in behind the blonde.

Usagi glared down at the black cat. "Are you calling me fat, Luna?!"

"Alright, alright, we don't have time for this," Luna quickly consoled. "Rei, what's your plan here today?"

Rei smiled. "Did you all bring your items?"

Usagi showed that she had brought a flashlight and a frisbee as she said. Ami took a can of air freshener out of her bag, to simulate her Aqua Mist, and Makoto took out a piece of rope, which she would use in place of her Supreme Thunder. Rei showed that she brought a tennis ball, which would stand for her Fire Soul attack.

"Good. Now, All we need is a stand-in for Kunzite…" She looked around the room for one of her punching bags, but Usagi chimed in with an idea of her own.

"No problem, ReiRei!" she chirped. She reached into her purse and took out her Disguise Pen.

"MOON POWER! CHANGE ME INTO KUNZITE!"

With a flash of pink light, Usagi was transformed into a white suit and cape with heavy boots and combat gloves. Her hair also turned silver, but remained in its bun and pigtail style. Never forsake the buns…

"Hey! It's Kunzagi!" Makoto announced. The others gave her a disapproving look. "What? I thought it was clever."

"Well then, it looks like 'Kunzagi' will be our punching bag for the day," Rei said, cringing a little that she had accepted the nickname.

"Come at me with everything you've got!" Kunzagi said bravely.

Rei, Ami and Makoto got on either side of Kunzagi, preparing to use their weapons. Rei had told the others to wait for her signal while she drew his/her attention. Ready for action, Kunzagi flipped his/her cape over his/her shoulder and drew his/her sword from its sheath.

"Please tell me that's made of rubber…" Luna whispered nervously, watching from the sidelines.

Kunzagi let out a little high-pitched war cry as he/she charged at Rei, clumsily swinging the sword around as if it weighed a million pounds. Of course, Rei was able to skillfully dodge each of Kunzagi's uncalculated strikes. After several minutes, Rei saw her opportunity and chucked her tennis ball into Kunzagi's stomach, knocking the wind out of him/her.

"Now!" the young martial artist shouted.

Given the signal, Ami and Makoto jumped into battle. Ami sprayed the air freshener into Kunzagi's face while Makoto whipped him/her in the butt with her rope. Kunzagi bit her lip and pain and collapsed to the ground in a snail position, clinging to her now stinging rear end.

"Looks like my plan worked perfectly," Rei said confidently.

"Um… not quite, Rei," Ami interjected.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked, sounding a little offended.

"I'm just saying, well…" The shy girl leaned into Rei's ear. "Usagi's a bit clumsy, so I think it's fair to say that it was pretty easy for you to dodge all of her attacks." Realizing she may have just offended Rei, she jumped back and held up her hands. "N-Not that you couldn't outmaneuver the real Kunzite! I just… think it would be safer if we didn't have to dodge in the first place."

Rei raised and eyebrow. "Where are you going with all of this?"

After a few minutes, the girls had gotten back into position, with Ami now standing in front of Kunzagi (who was still struggling to stand with his/her sore butt). Like Rei, Ami had told the others to stay put until she gave the signal. Once that was all worked out, Kunzagi took up his/her sword once again and charged Ami. The blue-haired girl raised a punching pad she had borrowed from Rei and used it to block the blade, emulating her Ripple Barrier.

"Now!" she shouted.

Rei threw her tennis ball Fire Soul with all her might, hitting Kunzagi right in the ribs. Makoto then lashed out with her rope and struck Kunzagi in the butt once again, adding an even worse sting to his/her already fire-red behind. With round two now over, he/she collapsed to the ground and began blubbering in pain.

"Usagi!" Rei cried, running to the silver-haired girl's side. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"You guys… that really hurt!" Kunzagi whined, rubbing his/her burning butt.

Rei narrowed her eyes. "You idiot! You shouldn't be doing this to yourself! Are you even going to be able to sit down later?"

"Well, at least we know my plan will work," Ami said, trying to lighten the situation.

"I don't know, Big Blue," Makoto said. Ami looked a little surprised at the brunette's uncertainty. "We know that the monsters and Nephrite can't break through your barrier, but Kunzite's stronger than all of them. What if he manages to break through your barrier before we can kill him?"

Ami crossed her arms and glared up at Makoto, looking offended. "And did you have a better plan in mind?"

Makoto stepped back a little. "Well… yeah, I did…"

Another few minutes passed, and Kunzagi was back on his/her feet, only now his/her legs were shaking from the pain that had spread all over his/her backside. Makoto now stood in front of him/her, rope in hand, ready to fight. Ami and Rei stood on either side of Usagi, anxiously waiting for the taller girl's command. In the blink of and eye, Makoto lashed her rope around Kunzagi's waist, spinning him/her around like a top and dragging him/her towards her. Once he/she was closer, Makoto grabbed his/her collar, lifted him/her into the air and tossed him/her across the room, but not before giving him/her a little extra boost with another whip to the butt.

"Usagi!" On instinct, Rei leapt into the air and caught the flying Kunzagi bridal style, landing gracefully on her feet so the silver-haired girl wasn't hurt any further.

Meanwhile, Makoto was rubbing her head and doing a fake nervous laugh. "Eheheh… I guess I got kinda caught up in the role there…"

"You moron! Now she really won't be able to walk later!" Rei yelled at the brunette.

"Uh… ReiRei…" Kunzagi muttered. "Could you take your hand off my butt…. it hurts…"

Her eyes going blank, Rei realized that in catching Kunzagi, she had inadvertently grabbed his/her butt. The raven-haired girl quickly dropped Kunzagi and shoved her hands into her pockets, blushing profusely.

"Makoto?" Ami asked, walking up to the tall girl. "What happened to your plan? Why didn't you call us out?"

"That… kinda was my plan…" Makoto said, her eyes drifting to the left.

"What?!" Rei spat. "Your plan was to just fight Kunzite by yourself?!"

"Why do we even need a plan when we have me?" Makoto asked arrogantly.

Rei's forehead popped a vein. "Are you seriously that full of yourself?!"

"Girls, stop!" Luna yelled, interrupting the two's squabble. "Do you think that fighting is going to bring you any closer to a functional plan? At this rate, Kunzite has you all bested by a mile!" The others had no response to this. Rei and Makoto just shot each other a look of disdain. "Besides, you've had a plan right in front of you all along!"

The four girls, including Kunzagi, all perked up at the cat's words. "Eh?" They hummed in unison.

Luna walked over to Kunzagi and clicked his/her Disguise Pen, undoing the transformation and returning him/her to her blonde, bun-headed self. "Sailor Moon is the key to your victory. As we saw at the masquerade ball, Kunzite has a weakness to the Moon's light, so all Usagi needs to do is stun him with Moon Twilight Flash and then you three can finish him off!"

Usagi rolled onto her stomach and pouted. "You could've said that before I got my butt whooped… literally!"

"You're right, Luna!" Ami said cheerily. "It's so simple! And if I remember the weather reports correctly, the moon should be in just the right position by midnight on May First!"

"Of course you remembered correctly," Makoto said, patting the shorter girl's head, causing her cheeks to redden.

"So much for my training idea…" Rei mumbled, sounding a little defeated.

"What do you think, Usagi?" Luna asked the sore girl. "Are you up for it?"

"You betcha!" she chirped, jumping to her feet and saluting. Of course, once she stood, she immediately recoiled from the pain in her butt. "Owieee..."

* * *

Kunzite stood before Queen Metalia's chamber once again. He had given it much thought, but decided that he must visit her one more time before he set out to fulfill his promise to her. With great hesitation, he eased the heavy doors open and walked inside, saluting the Queen as he usually did.

"I'm noticing a distinct lack of Sailor Soldier blood on your hands," Metalia said with hint of sarcasm.

"I'll be facing them tonight, your majesty. I plead that you have patience with me," Kunzite responded, despite regretting what he said at the end.

Metalia let out a low hiss. "You should watch what you say, Kunzite. My patience with you has all but come to an end." Kunzite braced himself for the Queen to punish him for his slip of the tongue, but no pain fell upon him. "That being said, why are you here?"

Kunzite took a knee. "I understand that I am in no position to be making requests, but I humbly ask that you bestow upon me the Dark Kingdom's forbidden technique!"

Queen Metalia was taken aback. "And you know full well the consequences should you use the technique?" she asked.

"Once the Black Soul Cannon is fired, the user will be utterly drained of his energy. Should he miss, he will be left at his opponent's mercy," Kunzite said as if reciting something he read.

"Do you intend to die on your mission?" the Queen asked.

Kunzite lowered his head. "If that is what it comes to, then I am fully willing to accept my fate," he said somberly. "But whether I make it back alive or not, I can assure you that at least one Sailor Soldier will fall by the end of tonight!"

Queen Metalia hummed to herself, and then the glass sphere that contained her began to glow. "Very well…"

Metalia's container began to glow black and white, and a river-like aura flowed gently forward and engulfed Kunzite's head. The aura pushed its way into his mouth and down his throat. The silver-haired man began to cough and choke, finding it difficult to catch his breath. Eventually though, his pain was replaced by an outfluxing feeling of power that radiated from the core of his body. He felt stronger than ever before, but knew better than to take this newfound strength lightly.

"T-Thank you… my Queen," Kunzite stuttered, still shaken up from his energy boost.

"I trust that you will not waste it," she reminded. "You may have used it before, but I'm concerned that your current sense of desperation may impair your ability to wield it wisely."

Kunzite stood up and saluted her once again. "I will not fail, your majesty! That much I can promise!" Now filled with power and confidence, Kunzite backed out of the room and pulled the doors shut. He looked down at his white gloved hands, feeling the dark energy practically coursing through every cell in his body. He couldn't help but smile to himself.

* * *

It was a late at night. Only one hour remained until midnight rolled in and the date became May First. Usagi peeked through the door to her parents' room, relieved to see that the two were sound asleep. Her mind at ease, she returned to her room and quickly headed over to the window, opening it and beginning to crawl through.

"Usagi, where are you going?" Luna asked quickly. "We still have awhile before we need to go."

The blonde was a bit surprised to see the cat was still awake, but she gave her a warm smile. "I need to talk to someone."

"Talk to someone?" Luna questioned. Before she could press further, Usagi hopped out the window and began to crawl up to the roof of the house. "That girl is going to be the death of me…"

Out on the roof, Usagi shivered in the cool night air. She wished she had grabbed a jacket or something instead of just coming out in her pajamas. However, she had no time to dwell on that. She reached into her pocket and took out her Transformation Brooch.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

Once she had transformed, she sat down on her roof and relaxed, knowing it would take her guest awhile to arrive. She sat there for nearly a half hour, twiddling her thumbs, playing a game on her phone, and eventually just laying back on the roof and relaxing. She was beginning to think that her hunch might have just been wishful thinking.

"Awful quiet around here for you to transform," a voice said from behind her.

Sailor Moon excitedly jumped to her feet and turned around. "I knew it! You can tell whenever I transform!"

Tuxedo Mask was a bit surprised by her energy. "So… you're not in danger?"

"Does it look like I am?" Moon said, fluttering her eyelashes at him and swinging one leg behind the other. Unfortunately, this action caused her to lose balance and nearly fall off the roof. Thankfully, Tuxedo Mask dashed forward and caught her.

"Yes, it does," he said with a smirk.

Sailor Moon blushed with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to do that! I can handle myself!" she whined.

"So you don't like being saved by me?" the young man said flirtatiously.

"I… I didn't say that…" Moon mumbled, her entire face now red. "Dangit, I wanted to tell you something important but now you've got me all flustered!"

This got Tuxedo Mask's attention. "Oh? And what did you want to tell me?"

Sailor Moon pressed her fingertips together and looked down at her feet. "Well… I don't know if you've noticed by now, but… I like you…"

"I like you too," the tuxedo-clad man responded immediately. "We are partners in crime, after all."

"No! Like… I really like like you!" Moon said, stumbling over her words.

"Oh…" Tuxedo Mask said, letting it sink in. "That kind of like."

"I don't know if you feel the same way, but even if you don't, I want to ask you for something before we go to fight Kunzite," the blonde heroine said.

Tuxedo Mask rustled his cape between his fingers, obviously nervous now. "Well, I don't not feel the same way…"

"Can you kiss me?" Moon said suddenly and straightforwardly.

"Eh?!" Tuxedo Mask spat out, surprised at how blunt she was.

Sailor Moon looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. "I'm sorry. I know it's really sudden and all, but I'm really scared to fight Kunzite, and I feel like this will give me the encouragement I need."

Tuxedo Mask rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Are you sure there aren't any… other ways you can-"

He was cut off when the young girl grabbed his hand. "Please! I need this. It'll just be this once, I promise. We never have to do it again if you don't want to!" she said pleadingly.

"I-It's not like that! I'm not against it, but…" He was about to continue, but saw how serious Sailor Moon was being about this whole situation. He suddenly felt guilty for how immature he was being. "Okay. Close your eyes."

The two slowly let their eyes drift close and leaned forward. Sailor Moon stood on her toes in order to reach the man in front of her, allowing her lips to tenderly come together with his. The two lingered for a moment, Tuxedo Mask's cape and Sailor Moon's pigtails swaying about in the wind. Eventually, Moon felt a small tear escape her eyelid and begin to fall down her face. She quickly pulled away from Tuxedo Mask, surprising him a bit, and took a locket out from her pocket. She brought it up to her cheek and caught the tear, closing it tight.

"What… what's that?" the dark-haired man asked, confused beyond belief.

"It's one of my healing tears," Sailor Moon explained. "They only come out when I feel love for someone. You kissing me made me cry a tear of joy." She held up the locket to him. "Please, take it."

"What for?" he asked.

"If anything happens to you tonight… if you get hurt, I want you to use this tear on yourself," she told him.

Tuxedo Mask held up his hand in refusal. "Don't worry, nothing is going to happen to me. You should keep that tear for yourself-"

Sailor Moon interrupted him once again, grabbing his hand and placing the locket inside it. "Please. Do it for me," she said, her voice slightly quivering.

The taller man hesitated for a moment, but ultimately he couldn't refuse the look she was giving him. He closed his hand around the locket and put it in a pocket inside his suit jacket. "Nothing's going to happen to me," he repeated.

"I know," Sailor Moon said, smiling up and him and wiping the remaining moisture from her eyes.

"Ahem…" a voice coughed. The two turtle doves looked toward the edge of the roof and saw Luna with an impatient look. "I believe we have somewhere to be?"

"Right," Tuxedo Mask nodded. "Are you ready?"

"Let's go," Moon agreed, determination in her voice. The two heroes and the black cat gracefully leapt down from the roof and took off into the night.

* * *

At the same time, Makoto stood in front of her bathroom mirror, gripping the edges of the sink and staring at her reflection. "What the hell am I doing?" she asked herself.

She suddenly turned on the sink and splashed some hot water on her face, helping her to wake up a little. "This sucks! I'm going out to fight in the middle of the night, I've got school tomorrow, and I… just… ugh! Why am I doing this to myself?!" She slammed her hands back down on the sink. She wanted so bad to just fall to the floor right then and there and go to sleep, but knew she had no time for that. "I guess this is the price of making friends with weirdos…"

Makoto looked back up at the mirror one more time, straightened her bad posture, and put on a determined face. "If we make it through this, I will finally bake those cookies!" She looked in the mirror and pointed at her reflection. "Don't you dare forget that!" Her mind made up, the brunette grabbed her Transformation Pen, threw on a jacket, and headed out the door, ready to join in the fray.

* * *

Rei had been meditating for most of the day, but was taken out of her subconscious state when an alarm she had set went off, signaling that it was time for her to join the others and defeat Kunzite once and for all. She grabbed her Transformation Pen and began to head downstairs, but not without making an important stop first.

The raven-haired girl snuck her way into her grandfather's room. She could tell he was out cold by how loud he was snoring, so she wasn't afraid of making too much noise. She leaned over the old man and planted a feather-light kiss on his forehead.

"Goodnight, Sensei," Rei whispered. "I love you."

She made a note to tuck the blankets around her grandfather, as he had kicked them up in his sleep. Feeling that everything was taken care of, she tiptoed back out of the room and closed the door, proceeding to make her way to the fight that was about to take place.

* * *

Ami waited anxiously as she heard the sound of a phone ringing on the other end of the line. Eventually, it clicked and a voice came through.

"Hello? Doctor Mizuno speaking," the female voice said.

"Hi mom," Ami responded.

"Oh, hi sweetheart!" Ms. Mizuno said, sounding a little surprised. "Why are you calling me so late?"

Ami thought up an excuse. "I just couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd call and ask how your shift's going."

"Oh, you know, it's a standard night shift. A lot of drunk drivers coming in," the woman said casually. "Thankfully, I got some rest before I came here."

"That's good to hear," Ami smiled. "I mostly just spent the day with my friends."

Ms. Mizuno was quiet for a second. "Those friends?"

Ami sighed. "Yes, mom. Those friends."

"I see…" her mother said. "Ami, we need to-" The woman was interrupted by another voice on the other end, but Ami couldn't quite make it out. "Sorry, but I have to go now. A patient just arrived in critical condition."

"Oh, okay. Well… good luck!" Ami said back.

She could hear her mother's shoes clicking against the hospital floor as she hurried to the patient. "Thanks honey! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight," Ami said, she was about to hang up, but quickly brought the phone back to her mouth. "Wait!" she cried. Her mother asked what was wrong on the other side, but for a moment she struggled to get her words out. "Mom, I… I'm sorry I'm not always the perfect daughter…"

Ms. Mizuno was quiet for another moment. "Honey, we may not always see eye to eye, but that doesn't mean I'll ever stop loving you," she said. "You will always be the perfect daughter to me, no matter what."

Ami smiled faintly. "I love you too, mom."

"Sleep tight, sweetheart," her mother said before hanging up.

Ami put the house phone back on the receiver, wiping away a tear that had unknowingly formed in her eye. With slight reluctance, she grabbed her Transformation Pen from her room and headed out to join her friends.

* * *

Out at Juuban District Park, Sailor Moon stood in front of the park's fountain, which had been shut off for the night. The area was devoid of any sound or life, save for the few souls hiding in the shadows. The blonde heroine looked around, seeing Mercury, Mars and Jupiter all hiding behind trees, waiting to make their move. Even Luna was sitting behind a bush, ready to enter the fight if necessary. Off in the distance, a heavy church bell rang twelve times, signifying the arrival of midnight and a new day. A gentle breeze blew through the park, rattling the grass, flowers, and leaves, and temporarily disturbing the peaceful silence. The wind blew into Moon's eyes, forcing her to close them for a brief moment. When she opened them again, she found a tall, silver-haired man standing in front of her.

"AUGH!" she screeched, jumping back a little. "How did you do that?!"

"Does it matter right now?" Kunzite asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"No, but what does matter is the butt-kicking I'm about to rain down upon you!" Moon declared, stabbing her pointer finger in Kunzite's direction.

Kunzite raised an eyebrow. "You seem awfully confident despite your demeanor."

"W-What do you mean my demeanor?" Sailor Moon asked. She looked down at herself and realized that her legs were trembling uncontrollably, destroying her otherwise heroic image.

The Dark Knight chuckled a little. "Now now, Sailor Moon, is this any way for a leader to be acting in front of her comrades?"

Moon's eyes shot open in shock. "My… my friends?"

"Dammit, he knows!" Jupiter hissed under her breath. She clenched her fist, but stayed hidden.

"Fear not," Kunzite said. "There will be no suffering for any of you. I intend to make this quick and painless."

Not waiting for another second, the Knight of Shadows pulled his sword out of its sheath and sprang forward, swinging it at Sailor Moon's throat. Luckily, the blonde's clumsy reflexes allowed her to fall on her butt and avoid getting decapitated. However, once she landed on her rear, the stinging sensation the was inflicted upon her earlier returned, causing her to yelp and leap high into the air. It turned out to be a lucky move, as Kunzite brought his sword down, trying to cut her down the middle, but the Soldier of Justice's comical pain reflexes allowed her to avoid it and land on the tip top of the fountain behind her.

"SHADOW BALL!"

Not letting up, Kunzite launched an orb of dark energy at Sailor Moon, which she evaded by jumping off the fountain and landing on the opposite side to Kunzite. Still, the orb managed to destroy the top of the fountain, breaking the pipe and causing water to spring out from the top. Kunzite then proceeded to jump up on top of the fountain and stood on one foot, causing the new sprinkle to spray out wide instead of directly up.

"Ha! You fell right into our little trap, Kunzite!" Sailor Moon announced.

Once again, the man looked confused. "Your trap?"

"That's right! Now feast your eyes!" Moon sneered. She reached up to her tiara and grasped the crown stud between her thumb and forefinger.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

The other soldiers jumped out of their hiding spots and immediately readied their attacks to finish off Kunzite. However, upon entering the battlefield, they saw that Kunzite was still standing on the fountain, and no light was coming from Moon's tiara.

"What…? W-What's going on?!" Sailor Moon squeaked in panic.

"Why isn't her attack working?!" Luna said, poking out from behind her bush.

"Hahahaha! You're a lot of fools, Sailor Soldiers!" Kunzite laughed. "Look up to the sky and see for yourself!"

The Soldiers did just that, and were horrified to see that the sky was covered in clouds for miles and miles. No moonlight was peeking through whatsoever, giving Sailor Moon no fuel for her attack.

"I planned our battle in accordance with a day when the night would be cloudy," Kunzite explained. "That way, you would not be able to exploit my weakness to moonlight! Don't tell me your entire plan was hinging on that one attack?"

The Sailor Soldiers were stunned with a combination of frustration, confusion, and fear. What Kunzite said was true; their entire plan depended on Moon Twilight Flash, their one outlet to Kunzite's weakness. But now, they had no way of fulfilling that plan.

"If that's all you have in store for me, then I suggest you all prepare to die…" Kunzite hissed, grinning to himself with pride.

~A Suivre~


	20. Kunzite's Last Stand Part 2

Here's chapter 20! YAY! I actually got this out at a reasonable time! It took me awhile to map this chapter out, since it's basically one big action scene, and we all know how good I am at writing those LOL. Anyway, this is the conclusion to Act 1 of my story. In this chapter, we say goodbye to some old faces, and say hello to some new ones ;)

Hope you all enjoy! Feel free to leave a review

* * *

Chapter 20: Kunzite's Last Stand Part 2

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

The other soldiers jumped out of their hiding spots and immediately readied their attacks to finish off Kunzite. However, upon entering the battlefield, they saw that Kunzite was still standing on the fountain, and no light was coming from Moon's tiara.

"What…? W-What's going on?!" Sailor Moon squeaked in panic.

"Why isn't her attack working?!" Luna said, poking out from behind her bush.

"Hahahaha! You're a lot of fools, Sailor Soldiers!" Kunzite laughed. "Look up to the sky and see for yourself!"

The Soldiers did just that, and were horrified to see that the sky was covered in clouds for miles and miles. No moonlight was peeking through whatsoever, giving Sailor Moon no fuel for her attack.

"I planned our battle in accordance with a day when the night would be cloudy," Kunzite explained. "That way, you would not be able to exploit my weakness to moonlight! Don't tell me your entire plan was hinging on that one attack?"

The Sailor Soldiers were stunned with a combination of frustration, confusion, and fear. What Kunzite said was true; their entire plan depended on Moon Twilight Flash, their one outlet to Kunzite's weakness. But now, they had no way of fulfilling that plan.

"If that's all you have in store for me, then I suggest you all prepare to die…" Kunzite hissed, grinning to himself with pride.

"Dammit, no point in holding back now!" Sailor Mars barked. "Everyone! Hit him with everything you've got!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

The three Soldiers launched their signature attacks all at once, aiming to take out Kunzite as fast as possible. Unfortunately, the Dark Knight was able to scatter three Shadow Balls and intercept the attacks, cutting them off instantaneously.

"Crap…" Jupiter grunted. "Sailor Moon! Try hitting him with your tiara!" When she looked over to the blonde heroine, however, she saw that she was still staring up at Kunzite, shaking and unmoving. "Sailor Moon!"

"Look, she's been frozen with fear," Kunzite mocked. "Such a pathetic excuse for a fighter…"

Without another word, the Knight of Shadows leapt off of the damaged fountain and raised his sword, aiming to slice Sailor Moon in half. Just as the sword was about to come down, a flash of black and white obscured Moon's vision, followed by a loud clanging sound. The sudden appearance of her rescuer snapped her out of her fear-induced paralysis.

"Tuxedo Mask!" she cried with joy, watching as the man held Kunzite at bay with his cane.

"You're always getting in my way…" Kunzite snarled.

Tuxedo Mask just grinned. "If I recall correctly, you invited me here!"

The two got into a brief shoving match, each trying to throw the other off balance. Eventually, Tuxedo Mask broke their clash with a swift kick, then spun around and smashed his cane into Kunzite's ribs. Despite his force, the attack appeared to have no effect on the silver-haired man, who quickly recovered from the blow and kicked Tuxedo Mask in the gut. The masked man had the air knocked out of him, which brought him to his knees. Kunzite raised his sword again and swung it towards his opponent's neck, but the downed man was able to gather his strength and block the attack. Their combat was brought to another halt as they got into a struggle again, Kunzite trying to push his blade past Tuxedo Mask's cane.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Kunzite's senses switched gears for a second as he heard Sailor Moon call out her attack. He quickly planted his foot into Tuxedo Mask's chest and kicked him to the ground, then whirled around and knocked away the incoming golden frisbee with his mighty sword. The projectile flew right back at Sailor Moon, but luckily, she was able to dodge it without losing so much as a hair.

"I'll deal with you momentarily, Sailor Moon," Kunzite taunted before stalking over to Tuxedo Mask.

Pressing his foot into the ground, Tuxedo Mask lunged at Kunzite, aiming to smash his head in, but he was easily blocked. The two began fencing with their respective weapons, sparks flying between them as metal ground against steel. However, it was clear that Kunzite was overpowering Tuxedo Mask, as the masked man was stumbling backwards amidst the clanging of weapons. Then, with a quick swipe of his arm, Kunzite knocked his opponent's cane away, rendering him defenseless.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN!"

Tuxedo Mask had little time to react as he was bound in a black steel chain and yanked into the air. He was spun around once and then thrown towards a large tree.

"SHADOW BALL!"

To give his toss a little extra punch, Kunzite launched one of his Shadow Balls at the flying man, slamming him into the tree and burning him with dark energy. With the brutal onslaught now over, Tuxedo Mask collapsed to the ground, wheezing and in terrible pain.

"No!" Sailor Moon screamed.

"Rest easy, Sailor Moon. He's not dead yet," Kunzite assured. "If I were you I'd be more concerned about myself, considering you'll soon be in a farm worse position than him."

Mercury, Mars and Jupiter quickly formed a protective human shield in front of Sailor Moon. "You'll have to get through us first!" Mars challenged.

"I didn't know that such youthful people were so eager to die," the Dark Knight laughed. "Well, if you're so insistent, then it would be terribly rude of me not to oblige. Now then, which one of you should be the first to see hell?"

Kunzite's eyes slowly drifted back and forth, scanning over the three warrior girls that faced him. He glanced at Mars, then Mercury, and then Jupiter, sizing each one of them up and slowly but surely making his decision. Finally, a demonic smile came over his face.

"YOU!"

In the blink of an eye, Kunzite darted forward at what seemed like the speed of light, the tip of his sword aimed directly at Sailor Mercury. The blue-haired soldier was so surprised that all her brain could tell her to do was throw up her arms defensively, even though she knew in her heart that it would do no good.

SHING!

When Mercury opened her eyes, she saw the pointed metal edge of the sword mere centimeters from her throat, but it was advancing no further. As she looked beyond that point, she was overjoyed to see that Sailor Jupiter had grabbed Kunzite's arm, preventing him from impaling her friend.

"Goddamn tough guys, always going for the little ones!" Jupiter snarled with rage. Allowing her anger to fuel her, she drove her knee deep into Kunzite's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, then tightened her grip on his arm and threw him across the pavement.

"T-Thanks Jupiter," Mercury stammered, still shaken up from what just happened.

The brunette smiled down at the shorter girl. "Anytime, Big Blue."

There was little time to celebrate as Kunzite got back on his feet and glared at the Soldier of Courage. "Damn you, Sailor Jupiter!" he roared, charging at the tall girl once again.

Not wasting another second, Jupiter met the Dark Knight's charge and caught his sword between her palms, thankfully not cutting her hands in the process. Thinking with her head, quite literally, she activated the lighting rod on her tiara and touched to to the tip of Kunzite's sword.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

A wave of electricity washed over Kunzite's steel edge and leapt onto his body, straining his muscles and cooking his skin. The man was able to break free of Jupiter's hold with a firm kick to her stomach, allowing him to put some distance between them and line his hand up with her.

"RAPID FIRE SHADOW BALL!"

The Dark Knight unleashed a flurry of Shadow Ball attacks that flew like gatling gun fire. However, even as they approached Jupiter, the girl seemed unfazed. With a sharp grin, she summoned her perfume belt.

"FLOWER HURRICANE!"

A torrent of pink flower petals emerged from the perfume bottle and turned into a massive cyclone that caught all of the Shadow Balls. Gracefully waving her hands around, Jupiter conducted the flow of the wind and threw all of Kunzite's attacks right back at him. The Knight of Shadows was quick to duck and dodge, evading each of the explosions of dark energy that came from the impact of the orbs.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN!"

Thinking on his feet, Kunzite roped in the last Shadow Ball with his chain attack, swung it around and around like a flail mace, then threw it right back at Jupiter. The brunette quickly dispersed the tornado of flowers and electrified her tiara once again.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

With one grandiose bolt, the Soldier of Nature destroyed the incoming Shadow Ball, turning it into a shower of purple sparks and black electricity. Their scuffle now brought to a standstill, the two combatants stood still for a moment to catch their breath.

"You're strong, Sailor Jupiter. That much I cannot deny," Kunzite complimented.

"Hah… I'm just getting started!" Jupiter panted.

The silver-haired man chuckled at this. "If you know anything about your element, then you should remember that no matter how hard Mother Nature tries…" he said, clenching his fist and pulling his arm back. "She can never destroy all of her enemies!"

"Jupiter! Behind you!" Mercury screamed.

Before Jupiter could make a move or see what was coming, she was struck in the back by a stray Shadow Ball that had escaped her Flower Hurricane. The impact caused her to fly towards Kunzite, who sprang forward and smashed his knee into the girl's stomach, causing her to cough up a disgusting mix of saliva and blood. Not letting up, Kunzite moved past the girl and slammed his elbow into her back, knocking her across the pavement.

"Jupiter!" the other soldiers cried out.

Sailor Jupiter struggled to push herself to her feet. Her back was on fire and her intestines felt like they were in knots. As she slowly got back up, wiping the blood from her mouth, she saw Kunzite darting towards her with his sword. Jupiter thought about using another Supreme Thunder, but knew she didn't have time to charge one up.

"MERCURY RIPPLE BARRIER!"

Just as Kunzite was feet away, Sailor Mercury jumped in front of Jupiter and summoned her barrier, protecting the two of them from the Dark Knight's blade. Kunzite was repelled backwards and thrown slightly off his feet. He began to conjure another Shadow Ball, but was forced to jump away again when a fireball nearly roasted him alive.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Sailor Mars summoned two more fireballs into her hands and hurled them at Kunzite, who was able to simply chop them in half with his sword. He retaliated with a pair of Shadow Balls, which Mars dodged without trouble while advancing on the man. She was now within just a few feet of him, and stabbed out with a knife-hand in hopes of hitting a pressure point on his neck. Unfortunately, the knight was able to deflect her arm with the flat edge of his sword, followed by a swift punch to her face with his free hand. Mars was sent sprawling to the ground, but she recovered quickly and gained some distance with several back-handsprings. She immediately lunged at him again, and this time Kunzite swung at her with the sharp edge of his sword. Mars was ready this time, however, and ducked below the blade, only getting a few of her hairs sliced off.

"What the…" Kunzite spat.

BAM BAM BAM!

Mars' hands flew like bullets as she hit pressure points in both of Kunzite's shoulders and his ribs, stunning the muscles in his torso. She followed up with a sweeping low-kick that knocked him off his feet. The martial artist took this opportunity to jump away again and ignite another fireball.

"FIRE SOUL!"

She threw the flames at the fallen man, who quickly took note on the projectile and pushed himself to his knees.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN!"

He swung the chain whip high into the air and then smacked it into the ground, the recoil of the impact being so great that it propelled him into the air and out of the fireball's path.

"He's fast," Mars hissed. Upon saying that to herself, an idea occurred in her head.

"PHANTOM LAVALIERE!"

Removing the pendant from her bodice, Mars threw it up towards Kunzite as he fell back towards the pavement below. The pendant latched onto his chest, and the Dark Knight felt a chill run through his body. He landed on his feet, but didn't move an inch after that.

"You won't be dodging me anymore!" the raven-haired girl shouted.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Mars chucked another fireball in Kunzite's direction, confident that he would be reduced to ashes this time. As the flaming ball of fury got closer, a smile began to cross Kuznite's face. With a flick of his arm, he cut the fireball in two, the flames dispersing as they rolled past him.

"No way!" Mars cried. "You shouldn't be able to move!"

Kunzite smirked as he pulled the pendant off his chest and tossed it aside. "I must admit, I'm surprised myself." With that said, he aimed his palm at Sailor Mars.

"SHADOW BALL!"

Mars was still too shocked that her attack failed to make a move. The Shadow Ball struck her and burst into a spray of dark energy, sending her flying several yards back and skidding across the concrete.

"You're far too confident in yourself, Sailor Mars," Kunzite taunted, preparing to shoot another Shadow Ball at the fallen soldier.

"Hey you!" a voice squeaked. Kunzite turned and saw Sailor Moon standing confident with her legs apart, her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out. "You haven't forgotten about me, have you?"

"On the contrary…" Kunzite said softly. He sheathed his sword, confusing Moon for a moment, then pointed his forefinger at her.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN HYDRA!"

This time, instead of just one black chain, nearly a dozen of the steel snakes whipped out of his fingertip and streaked towards Sailor Moon. The blonde's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she quickly dives to the ground, narrowly getting impaled by the chains.

"RAPID FIRE SHADOW BALL!"

Not letting up, Kunzite unleashed another machine-gun round of Shadow Balls, forcing the Soldier of Justice to tuck and roll across the ground, her eyes quickly becoming spirals. The silver-haired man used both of his attacks at once, shooting off a barrage of Shadow Balls while simultaneously whipping around the cluster of Nightmare Chains. The attacks sent Moon into one of her comedic little chases as she tried desperately not to get blasted by the orbs or shredded by the chains.

* * *

Meanwhile, off in the far distant Dark Kingdom, Metalia, Nephrite and Zoisite were all enjoying the spectacle of Kunzite's clash with the Soldiers. A mist of dark energy hovered above Metalia's chamber, with the images of the fight being projected through it. The Queen watched without as word, not even a hiss, while the other two insisted on giving commentary.

"He's getting sloppy," Nephrite sneered. "Even though he outsmarted the Soldiers, he's barely even managed to injure them."

Zoisite nudged him and giggled. "I bet he's pulling the whole 'honorable fight' nonsense. I tell you what; if it were me out there, I would have killed Sailor Jupiter a long time ago!"

"What?" Nephrite asked.

"Sailor Jupiter," Zoisite repeated. "He should obviously kill her first. She's the strongest after all."

"Don't be dense," Nephrite chided. "Sailor Mercury is likely to form a backup strategy sooner or later. He should kill her first."

The blonde man crossed his arms. "You're just saying that because you have a personal vendetta against her!"

"And you're just saying Jupiter because she beat you with perfume!" Nephrite shot back.

"It was an insult of the worst kind!" Zoisite whined. "Perfume is supposed to make me prettier, not give me a black eye!"

Nephrite raised an eyebrow. "When have you ever worn perfume?"

The Knight of Brimstone suddenly gasped and covered his mouth. "Nephrite… have you seriously never noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Nephrite said, the wheels in his head visibly turning.

"Oh, you are unbelievable!" Zoisite pouted, straightening his arms at his sides.

"Silence!" Queen Metalia roared. The two Knights instantly shut their mouths tightly. "Shut up and watch, you two. You just might learn something."

Taking their Queen's warning/advice to heart, the two men quit their squabbling and looked back up towards the fight.

* * *

Sailor Moon continued to run frantically around, using her clumsiest moves to avoid getting evaporated by one of Kunzite's Shadow Balls or snared by one of his Nightmare Chains. The Dark Knight was still double-wielding his techniques, firing off a storm of dark energy orbs and striking out with a bundle of black steel chains. The concrete pavement that they fought on had been completely torn up and the fountain that was originally between them had been reduced to a pile of rubble and broken pipes that sprayed rust-tainted water in all directions.

A ways away, Mercury had one of Jupiter's arms slung over her shoulder, allowing the brunette to recover, while she activated her cerulean visor and scanned Kunzite with it.

"This touch-and-go strategy isn't working," the Soldier of Wisdom said. "We need to form a new plan."

"How?" Jupiter questioned. "None of our attacks are working on him! He wasn't even affected by Mars' pendant!"

"There has to be a reason for that," Mercury responded, trailing off a bit at the end. As she scanned Kunzite with her visor, struggling to keep up with his quick movements, the screen honed in on the silver jewel atop his forehead. "What the…"

"What? What is it?" Jupiter asked anxiously.

"That gem on his forehead… I'm not quite sure what this means, but the data says that it's emitting spectral energy," Mercury said skeptically. "But… spectral energy isn't a real thing…"

"I don't think this is the time to be looking for logic!" Jupiter said, raising her voice.

Mercury was surprised by her tone, but quickly refocused on Kunzite. "Well, if I remember anything about paranormal myths, it's that spectral energy is generated by the presence of a soul."

"So then… that gem is his soul?" Jupiter pressed, as if encouraging the blue-haired girl.

"Rei told me that her pendant paralyzes evil spirits, but it seems like Kunzite's body is just a shell, while his gem is the actual soul," Mercury began to infer. "So… if she can attach her pendant to Kunzite's gem, he should become immobilized!"

"And then we'll give him the beatdown of a lifetime!" Jupiter grinned and cracked her knuckles.

Sailor Mercury nodded, then the two of them began rushing over to Sailor Mars. "Mars!" Mercury shouted.

The Soldier of Fire eased herself to her feet. "What… is it?" she winced.

"I think I have a plan!" the nerdy girl said with a confident gleam in her eyes.

KABOOM!

A Shadow Ball exploded at Sailor Moon's feet, sending her up into the air and crashing down hard on the pavement. Kunzite smiled to himself, indulging in his lucky shot, then ceased his additional attacks and began making his way over to the stunned Sailor Soldier.

Sailor Moon's vision was hazy. She tried to blink away the blurriness, but to no avail. Still, through her foggy vision, she could make out the form of Tuxedo Mask lying some distance away from her. "Tuxedo… Mask…" she whimpered, reaching out to him.

"Sailor Moon…" the young man grunted, reaching back to her and trying to get up, only to fall back to his knees, still injured from Kunzite's blows.

Realizing that the man who had always come to her rescue was now unable to save her, Sailor Moon looked up at the looming figure of Kunzite with dismay and terror. She knew he intended on finishing her off, but she wasn't ready for death at all. Tears began to form in her eyes as she knew her end was coming.

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

Sailor Moon's fear was suddenly replaced with joy as she heard the familiar battle cry of her blue-haired friend, followed by the hazed sight of a thick cloud of water vapor surrounding Kunzite.

"What the hell?!" Kunzite snapped. He began to frantically look around, searching for any attacks that may be coming his way. Unfortunately for him, he failed to notice Sailor Mars rushing up behind him.

"PHANTOM LAVALIERE!"

In an incredible display of agility, the raven-haired girl did a corkscrew flip over Kunzite, reaching down and slapping her pendant onto the silver gem on his forehead. Once she landed, she was quick to jump out of the mist cloud, leaving Kunzite paralyzed.

"Damn… you…!" Kunzite growled, unable to talk properly due to his jaw being locked.

"Jupiter, go!" Mars yelled.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Fully charged, Sailor Jupiter let loose a lightning bolt that struck Mercury's mist. The electricity bounced off the tiny water droplets, creating an electrified prison for Kunzite that slowly burned him inside and out. The Knight of Shadows cried out in pain as he was shocked into a state of agony unlike anything he'd felt before. Even if he could move to attempt an escape, he knew that the paralyzing power of the lightning bolts would keep him in place. As the man was brutally electrocuted, he felt control suddenly return to his limbs as a stray bolt struck the pendant attached to his forehead and shattered it.

With time, the electricity began to run out of steam. The huge bolts turned into smaller ones, the smaller bolts became mere sparks, and those sparks eventually popped into nothing. All the was left was the lingering Aqua Mist.

"We won!" Jupiter cheered.

"It worked!" Mercury said proudly. "I always thought spectral energy was nonsense, but… it worked!"

Sailor Moon smiled up to her nerdy friend. "Good job, Mercury. You're… so smart…" she said weakly, causing Ami's eyes to turn into shimmering bright stars and a smile to stretch to both her ears.

"NIGHTMARE CHAIN!"

Without warning, a long black chain shot out from Mercury's mist and wrapped around Mercury, Mars and Jupiter, binding them all together. Kunzite then emerged from the mist with a smile on his face. His clothes were tattered and his skin was smoking, but other than that he was relatively unharmed.

"Well done, you three. I commend you," the Dark Knight said. "It's been awhile since I've felt that kind of pain." He shot Sailor Moon a glare.

"You… let us go and fight us like a man!" Sailor Mars shouted.

Kunzite shook his head. "Forgive me, Sailor Mars, but I can't do that. I promised Queen Metalia that I would kill you tonight, but if we continue to fight like this, I can't see that happening any time soon. I'm going to end this right now."

"Guys… no!" Sailor Moon cried, her voice shaking as she struggled to her feet.

Kunzite aimed two fingers at the bound Sailor Soldiers, a black and white aura forming at their tips. "Farewell, Sailor Soldiers. It pains me to say goodbye to such worthy opponents."

"Don't hurt them!" Moon cried, stumbling towards Kunzite to save her friends.

Luna jumped out from her hiding spot. "Sailor Moon! Stay away from him!" she screamed in panic.

Sailor Moon was nearly upon Kunzite, preparing to wrap her arms around him and tackle him to the ground. However, as she got close, the silver-haired man's smile grew even wider. He suddenly swung his arm towards Sailor Moon and stabbed his fingertips into her chest, stopping her in her tracks. At that moment, everything and everyone went silent.

"BLACK SOUL CANNON!"

With a mighty sonic boom, Kunzite launched the full force of the forbidden technique into Sailor Moon's body, sending her flying back. As she landed hard on the ground, blood began dripping from her nose and mouth, and her eyes became devoid of pupils. Nobody could comprehend what had just happened, save for Kunzite, who stood smiling with his fingers still sparking from the attack.

"USAGI!" Sailor Jupiter screamed at the top of her lungs, a terrifying mix of agony and rage pouring from her voice. Now fueled by her anger, she began flexing all the muscle she had in her arms, trying desperately to break the chain that restrained her and her friends.

"That little fool," Kunzite sighed. He looked down at his palm and flexed it. "It's been so long since I've lost my power…"

"Usagi, please get up!" Mercury cried, joining Jupiter in the struggle to break the chains. Mars, on the other hand, just stood there with a dead, empty look.

Kunzite glanced over at the other Sailor Soldiers and smiled. "Patience, dears. I've run out of energy for now, so we'll have to continue this another time. However…" The Knight of Shadows gripped his sword and began walking towards Sailor Moon's body. "I believe my Queen would love to hang a head on her wall."

Everyone's eyes went wide with shock. As Kunzite made his way to the seemingly dead Soldier of Justice, Jupiter and Mercury resumed their efforts to get free. Still, Sailor Mars wasn't moving an inch.

"Don't touch her!" Luna screeched, springing out of her bush and charging at Kunzite. She leapt into the air, claws and teeth bared, but she was easily swept aside by the Dark Knight.

Kunzite continued on his way towards Sailor Moon, acting as if Luna didn't attack him at all. However he did pause when he felt a strong hand grip his foot. "Stay… away from her…" Tuxedo Mask growled, looking up at Kunzite with hate-filled eyes. Without even blinking, Kunzite kicked the injured man in the jaw, knocking him away.

"Why are you wasting your efforts?" Kunzite asked. "She's already dead. I'm merely claiming a trophy."

With that said, something inside of Sailor Mars finally snapped. She felt a fire growing inside of her, along with a heat escaping her body. The chain that bound her and the other two began to glow bright orange, causing Mercury and Jupiter to wince in pain. With one mighty flex, Mars broke the heated chain, freeing her and her fellow soldiers. However, at the moment, only one person was on her mind.

"KUNZITE!"

The Knight of Shadows turned around, raising an eyebrow. He saw Sailor Mars staring him down with pure white eyes. Steam lifted off of her body as if her blood was boiling. Flames began to erupt from her fists, which were clenched so tight that her nails were practically cutting her palms open.

"FIRE SOUL!"

Swinging her arm with all her strength, Mars launched a fireball at Kunzite. It moved so fast that the man had no time to lift his sword and counter it. The fireball struck him, sending him flying off the pavement, through a nearby tree, and into a grassy field. The field was immediately set ablaze, the fire spreading quickly as if fueled by the uncontrollable anger that was eating away at Mars' sense of reason.

The Soldier of Passion allowed the anger to control her, and began swinging her arms back and forth, throwing a flurry of fireballs towards the area where Kunzite had landed. The extra attacks caused the fire to spread even faster, now reaching the tree line and even the pavement they stood on. There seemed to be no end to the raven-haired girl's assault. Fireballs soared from her hands, waves of flames washed over the entirety of Juuban District Park, and smoke poured into the air. All around them, birds, squirrels and other animals fled from the bushes and trees, trying to escape the spreading wildfire.

"Get down!" Sailor Jupiter yelled, tackling Mercury to the ground to avoid the smoke and sparks that sailed through the air.

Sailor Mars screamed as she continued to throw Fire Souls, the pain and rage dripping from her vocal cords. The muscles in her arms felt like they were about the melt, but she paid no mind to it. She wasn't going to stop until this heartless monster was a charred, rotting corpse. After several more attacks, the Soldier of Fire slowly, but finally let up. Her pupils returned to her eyes, her arms dropped to her side, and her hate-filled screams turned into exhausted gasps for air.

"Rei…" Luna whispered to herself, seeing how much Sailor Moon's death had damaged this girl.

Mars looked around. Juuban District Park had been turned into a sea of fire. Everything that was flammable, from the grass to the trees and the benches, was on fire. Thankfully, Sailor Moon and the others were still on the concrete path that ran through the park, saving them from being caught in the blaze.

"I told you…"

Just then, Mars felt a breeze blow behind her, followed by something cold and sharp being plunged into her back just below her ribs.

"Not to waste your efforts," Kunzite sneered. He had emerged behind Sailor Mars from a dimensional door and stabbed her in the back with his sword. Mars' eyes went wide as she felt the weapon pierce her side, emerging out of her belly right next to where her stomach should be. The silver-haired man yanked the sword out of her and pushed her forward, causing her to fall face-first to the ground. "Now, where was I?"

His sword now covered in blood, Kunzite advanced on Sailor Moon once again. This time, there was no stopping him. Tuxedo Mask was too weak, Luna was unconscious from Kunzite's hit, and Jupiter and Mercury were cut off by the fire.

"Usa… gi…" Sailor Mars whimpered, tears flowing from her eyes. She now lay in a pool of blood, reaching out towards Sailor Moon with what little strength she had left.

The Dark Knight looked down on the blonde soldier's dead body, almost taking pity of the sight of her lifeless face and blank eyes. Lining up his steel edge with the girl's neck, Kunzite raised his sword into the air and prepared to claim his trophy.

"Victory is mine at last!" Kunzite shouted triumphantly, swinging the blade down with all his might.

ZING!

Before Sailor Moon's head could be severed, a shiny golden object struck Kunzite's hands, knocking his sword from his grasp. The object then buried into the concrete, revealing itself to be a crescent-shaped boomerang.

"What…?" Kunzite gasped. "Who did that?!" He looked in all directions for the mystery attacker, and his eyes finally settled on a figure standing atop a nearby lamppost.

She wore blue high heels, a navy blue skirt with a red stripe at the hem and a bow at the back of the waist, a red and white bodice with shoulder pads, a blue sailor collar tied off with a red bow, white elbow-length gloves with orange bands at the cuffs, and a bright red masquerade mask. She had long, blonde hair that was tied up with a red ribbon, and a crescent moon mark on her forehead that glimmered amongst the flames that surrounded her.

"You… it can't be…" Kunzite stammered.

Like lightning, the new soldier sprang down towards Kunzite, winding up her leg so that her heels nearly touched her shoulder blades.

"SAILOR V KICK!"

WHAM!

Kunzite was struck in the side of the head by the girl's foot, snapping his body into an arc and sending him flying away from her. After a rough landing, he reached up and touched his now aching temple, feeling drops of blood trickling down from where her heel had connected.

Several yards away, Mercury and Jupiter watched in awe. "Who is that?" Jupiter asked.

As if she heard her, the blonde heroine placed a hand on her hip, flashed a V-sign over her eyes, and gave a cute little wink. Her luminous blonde hair fluttered about in the gust created by the surrounding fire.

"Codename: SAILOR V! I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier of love, and I'm on the scene!"

Kunzite stood in shock, barely able to form words in his mouth. "Sailor… V?" he mutttered, as if questioning his sanity. He wasn't sure, but it felt as if his cheeks were flushing.

Meanwhile, Sailor V walked over to where her boomerang had landed and pulled it out of the concrete. Without any more words, she got into a fighting stance and aimed her weapon at Kunzite, challenging him to a one-on-one.

"Dammit…" the Dark Knight sighed with dismay. Then, gripping his sword, he dashed towards Sailor V with a battle cry and swung the blade at her throat. The blonde heroine was effortlessly able to block the attack with her boomerang and then delivered a scissor kick to his jaw, knocking him off balance.

"What the hell's going on?" Jupiter asked. "Is that really Sailor V?"

"She's so beautiful…" Mercury sighed with hearts in her eyes.

Annoyed, Jupiter shook her blue-haired friend. "Knock it off, Big Blue! We gotta go help her!" The brunette scrambled to her feet and took off towards the fight.

"Oh… okay!" Mercury said, following after the tall soldier.

Sailor V blocked several more strikes from Kunzite's sword, locking his blade into the curve of her boomerang, when she saw the other two soldiers approaching. "No!" she shouted, holding out a hand to them. "I can handle this myself! Go help your friends!"

"Are you sure?" Mercury asked.

"Of course I'm sure," Sailor V said with another wink.

Mercury nodded back to her, then turned to Jupiter. "Alright, I'll go make sure Usagi's okay. You help Rei!" She was about to head off towards Sailor Moon, but Jupiter grabbed her wrist.

"No! We both have to go help Rei. You have medical experience, don't you?" Jupiter said.

Mercury was shaken by this. "B-But… Usagi-"

"She's gone, Ami!" Jupiter barked, the pain clear in her tone. "But… Rei still has a chance."

A tear slipped out of Mercury's eyes, but she nodded in agreement anyway. "O-Okay," was all she could say.

The two hurried over to Sailor Mars, whose Sailor uniform was now more red than white. Her eyes were open, but it was clear from her vacant stare that her actual vision was going black. Jupiter used both hands to apply pressure to the stab wound in her side while Mercury used her visor to scan the injury.

* * *

Tuxedo Mask used one elbow to try and crawl towards Sailor Moon, his other arm completely limp. His body was in terrible pain, but he had to get to Moon if she was going to have any chance of living. However, he was crawling dangerously close to the edge of the path, and thus close to the fire. As he got closer to Moon, a nearby burning tree suddenly gave out and collapsed, falling in front of Tuxedo Mask and cutting him off from Sailor Moon entirely.

"Dammit…" he grunted, pounding his fist into the ground. "Forgive me, Sailor Moon. I… I wasn't strong enough…"

As the embers from the tree slapped against his face, a shadowy figure appeared in front of him. It was small, walked on all fours, and had pointed ears. However, what stood out to him was the crescent moon mark on its forehead that shone in the light of the fire.

"L-Luna?" the masked man muttered weakly. As he looked closer, he could see that the cat standing in from of him was not black, but white, and had light blue eyes instead of red ones. "Who… who are you?"

"Give me the locket," the white cat said.

Tuxedo Mask was unbelievably confused. "What?"

"I can bring the healing tear to Sailor Moon!" the cat informed. "Hurry and give it to me. She doesn't have much time!"

Tuxedo Mask was hesitant to give Sailor Moon's tear to someone that he didn't even know, but given how much this cat resembled Luna, especially with the crescent moon mark, and how short he was on options, he realized he had no choice. With his good arm, the young man reached into his suit jacket, pulled out the locket that held Sailor Moon's healing tear and handed it to the white cat. The mysterious feline took the chain in his mouth and bounded away towards Sailor Moon's body. Tuxedo Mask was left lying there, wrought with guilt and distress.

After getting around the burning tree, the white cat approached Sailor Moon and opened up the locket, letting the tiny drop of water inside fall onto Sailor Moon's face. The tear began to glow as it seeped into the girl's skin, and when it faded, her skin became pale once again and her eyes regained their pupils.

"Wha… what happened?" she asked, obviously confused. Looking around, the first thing her eyes caught was the white cat sitting next to her. "Luna… no, wait… you're not Luna…"

"So I've heard," the cat muttered, rolling his eyes. "Look, this is no time for questions. Your friends need your help!"

Sailor Moon's last memories suddenly came flooding back into her head. Kunzite was about to use the same power that killed Akira on her friends! She hastily got to her feet and desperately looked around her, trying to locate where her friends might be. Most of her vision was obscured by the raging fire around them.

"Where did this fire come from…?" As she squinted to see through the roaring flames, she saw Mercury and Jupiter tending to what looked like a wounded Sailor Mars. "Rei!" Moon cried. She began running over to her friends, but paused when she heard the sounding of clanging metal. Her eyes began to search again, and they grew wide when she saw the source of those battle sounds. "Is that… Sailor V?!"

* * *

"SAILOR V TORNADO KICK!"

Unnecessarily announcing her move, Sailor V spun sideways through the air and swung her leg down towards Kunzite. The silver-haired man was quick to grab her leg and toss her away, but V gave him no time to breathe and jumped back into action, slashing her boomerang at his body and forcing him to go on the defensive with his sword.

"CRESCENT BOOMERANG!"

Much like Sailor Moon, the blonde heroine threw her boomerang at Kunzite, aiming straight for his jugular. While the knight's energy may have been drained, his reflexes still remained, and he was able to deflect the boomerang with his sword, leaving V without a weapon.

"Perish, Sailor V!" Kunzite shouted, charging at the heroine with his sword held high.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

Coming in with the original boomerang attack, Sailor Moon's tiara-turned-golden disk struck Kunzite's hand and knocked his sword away, saving Sailor V from the blade. The two looked over toward the Soldier of Justice, V smiling with approval, and Kunzite scowling in disgust.

"Alright! Nice shot, Moon!" Sailor V cheered, giving the girl a thumbs-up.

"Impossible! How are you alive?! Nothing can survive the Black Soul Cannon!" Kunzite roared.

"It's over, Kunzite!" Sailor Moon announced. "Your outnumbered and powerless! Just leave quietly and I won't kill you."

Kunzite grit his teeth, but then a chuckle began to escape his lips. "You… you think I'm powerless? You think you can kill me?! As long as darkness covers this world, I can never die!"

Sailor V's smile faded. "He's right. We've gotta get rid of those clouds…" she said, looking up towards the grey sky. Knowing exactly what to do, she turned over to Sailor Jupiter. "Jupes! Blow those clouds away with your hurricane attack!"

"Wait, what?" the brunette questioned.

Sailor V groaned. "You! Flowers! Clouds! Blow away! Is that clear enough?"

Jupiter narrowed her eyes. "I already hate you…" she hissed. Still, she summoned her perfume belt and conjured up a breeze of pink petals. Mercury and Mars made a note to back up.

"FLOWER HURRICANE!"

The Soldier of Nature raised her arms towards the sky, created a massive updraft with the aid of her flower petals. The cyclone reached higher and higher, finally coming into contact with the dark clouds that covered the starry night sky. With a hole now formed in the puffy grey barrier, the brilliant light of the full Moon was able to shine through and reach the ground. The light shone right onto Sailor Moon, as if the heavens themselves were giving her a theatrical spotlight.

"No you don't!" Kunzite growled. He took off in a mad dash towards Sailor Moon, intent on finishing her before she could attack.

"PHANTOM LAVALIERE!"

The Knight of Shadows found himself paralyzed once again after feeling something strike the gem on his forehead. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sailor Mars shakily standing on her feet with the support of Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter.

"No… NO!" Kunzite shouted with panic.

"Sailor Moon! Do it!" Sailor V shouted.

The bun-headed heroine nodded. She turned to Kunzite and narrowed her eyes, reaching up to the crown stud on her tiara and lining the three red gems up with the moonlight.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

Determination fueling her, Sailor Moon concentrated the Moon's light down to a single point, then reflected that light onto the Knight of Shadows. The light shone so bright that it overtook the glow of the wildfire Sailor Mars had created. One could say that nighttime at Juuban District Park had momentarily been turned into daytime, only it was far brighter than any day the Sun had ever brought. Everyone in the area, from Mercury, Jupiter and Mars to Sailor V and Tuxedo Mask, was forced to shut their eyes to avoid having their retinas incinerated by the overwhelming shine. Kunzite, however, did not have the luxury of covering or shutting his eyes. He took the full force of the Twilight Flash.

"RRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The Dark Knight let out one final agonized roar as his body was blackened and blown away by Sailor Moon's attack. There was no pain, no suffering; only oblivion.

When the light faded, there was no sign of Kunzite. Where he once stood was a smoking black stain on the ground, as if his shadow had been burned into the concrete. The others all opened their eyes, welcoming the calming silence, save for the crackle of the ongoing fire.

"She… she did it…" Sailor Jupiter said, her mouth stretching into a joyous smile. "She did it!" The brunette leapt to her feet and sprinted over to Sailor Moon, embracing the young girl and lifting her into the air. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen! You completely torched his ass!"

"T-Thanks…" Moon wheezed, gasping for air as she was squeezed by the muscular girl. "S-Speaking of torched, where did this fire come from?"

Jupiter set the girl down. "You can thank Mars for that. She went completely nuts after you went down," she said, pointing over to Sailor Mercury, who was still helping the raven-haired girl stand.

"Rei!" Moon cried, running over to her friend. She made sure not to hug her at the risk of hurting her further. "Are… a-are you okay?"

"Heh… I've had worse," Mars snickered. "You know… when I died…"

"Oh Rei…" the blonde whimpered, a tear streaming down her face. She quickly wiped the tear onto her glove and then touched it to Sailor Mars' bloody wound. "You didn't have to do all of this."

Mars felt the pain in her torso ease and subside as Moon's tear healed her injury. "Come on, I can always count on you to get me out of tough situations like this…"

She was silenced when Sailor Moon cupped both of her cheeks in her hands, holding her face up so their eyes met. "I'm serious! Look what you did to the park! Even if it was to beat Kunzite, you could have hurt or even killed one of your friends! Or what if I caught on fire while I was down?" Mars had no response this time. Sailor Moon brought her face closer to her friend's and looked deep into her eyes. "Promise me that you'll never act like this ever again, no matter what happens to me or anyone else."

Tears flowed out of Sailor Mars' eyes. She tried to turn away from Sailor Moon, as if ashamed to look at her. "I'm sorry… I'm dangerous…"

Moon swiftly pulled her fiery friend into a hug, desperate to comfort the shaken girl. "You're not dangerous. Don't ever think that you are. Just promise that you'll think before you act from now on. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I… I promise," Sailor Mars whispered, wrapping her arms around Usagi's neck and returning the warm hug.

* * *

Luna slowly began to come to, feeling someone nudging the side of her face. As her head cleared, she remembered the situation they were all in.

"Usagi!" she shouted, leaping to her feet. However, the face she was met with wasn't Usagi's, nor Kunzite's, but instead, a white-haired cat. "A-Artemis? Is that you?"

"The one and only," Artemis said with a wink.

Luna began to run off. "Come on! We have to help Sailor Moon!"

The white cat quickly grabbed his friend by the tail, causing her to yelp. "It's alright, Luna. Sailor Moon and the others won. Kunzite is dead."

"Really?" Luna asked, her face lighting up.

"Well, with a little help from Sailor V of course…" Artemis added.

Luna's face was practically glowing at this point. "Sailor V is here?! Does this mean she's going to stay?"

The white cat smiled. "Yes. We talked for a long time, and she feels she's ready to work alongside them."

Luna breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that," she said simply.

* * *

The four Sailor Soldiers, having de-transformed, were back together, and now stood opposite to Sailor V. All five had been quiet for some time, with the four friends taking their time to examine the newcomer. The surrounding wildfire had died down slightly, mostly due to half the park being burnt to a crisp by now.

"Well? Are you gonna run away again?" Makoto scoffed. "Or are you staying this time?"

Sailor V smiled and shook her head. "Nope. I'm here to stay. Seems like you guys could really use my help around here."

Makoto narrowed her eyes. "Now I wish you were leaving…"

"Usagi!" Luna cried, running over to the bun-headed blonde. The black cat leapt into the girl's arms and nuzzled against her face. "I was so worried!"

"I'm okay, Luna. I'm okay," Usagi assured, hugging her feline friend tightly. She looked around, expecting another certain someone to show up and congratulate her, but he was nowhere to be found. "Where's Tuxedo Mask?"

Luna, equally confused, searched their burning surroundings for any sign of the tuxedo-clad man. "He must have left after Kunzite was defeated." She noticed the worried expression on Usagi's face. "I'm sure he's alright, Usagi. It wouldn't be the first time he disappeared after a fight."

"Yeah… you're right," Usagi said quietly, sounding disappointed.

"Sailor Soldiers!" Artemis said, bounding over to Sailor V's side. "I've discussed with my partner here, and we've decided that it's time for us to join forces against the Dark Kingdom."

"Oh?" Makoto sneered. "And why the sudden change of heart?"

"Questions for later," Artemis answered quickly. "We'll all meet up at the Crown Arcade tomorrow and discuss our plan of action from here on out. Is that clear?"

"Not quite!" Ami snapped, stepping forwards. Her face bore an uncharacteristic look of frustration. "If we're going to be working together, or trust you at all, we need to know who you are first!"

Sailor V looked slightly surprised, and glanced down to Artemis as if looking for advice. The white cat simply nodded, and the blonde girl sighed. With a flash of orange light, the soldier's uniform disappeared and was replaced with an everyday tank top and skirt combo.

"How're y'all doing?" the girl asked cheerfully. "My name's Minako Aino, and I'm absolutely flawless!" She completed her introduction with her signature V-sign over the eyes.

"Awfully bubbly for the legendary Sailor V…" Rei muttered, clearly unimpressed.

Artemis chuckled at the raven-haired girl. "My dear, she's far more than just a bubbly girl. She is also the heir to the throne of the Moon Kingdom, Princess Serenity!"

"EEEEHHHH?!" the four girls squealed at once, their faces contorting into cartoonish looks of shock and confusion at the sudden revelation.

Minako let out a girly giggle. "That's right! Pleasure to meet y'all, my loyal bodyguards!"

* * *

In a dark, obscure room within the Dark Kingdom, Jadeite watched the happy scene play out through a crystal ball. He watched as Sailor V celebrated their victory over Kunzite, while the other Sailor Soldiers embraced each other in relief. His fingers tightened on the crystal ball, causing a few tiny spiderweb cracks to form on its surface. As he glared down at the image within, his eye began to twitch and his usually happy-go-lucky grin turned into a pained scowl.

CRASH!

The Knight of Blood hurled the crystal ball against the wall of his chamber, shattering it instantly. As bits and piece of glass rained to the ground, the echo of the crash was drowned out by Jadeite's scream. It was as if any sanity the man once had was now leaving him in the form of one powerful, agonized cry.

~A Suivre~


	21. Special: God of Dreams

Alright, here we go! The special chapter that I promised back in October! Or was it September? Gah, it's been too long! I deeply apologize for the wait. This year has been a hassle for me and I've had little time and motivation to work on this story. Luckily, by some miracle, I got my groove back and was able to finish this monstrosity of a chapter. It's an entirely original story, based on nothing from Naoko Takeuchi's manga or the 90s anime, so I hope you all enjoy it! Please feel free to leave a review and let me know if this comeback was worth it! ;)

P.S. Kinda like the Dragon Ball Z movies, this side story is non-canon to the main one. That being said, it takes place roughly between Chapters 14 and 15, because Naru knows Mamoru is Tuxedo Mask, and she and Usagi are still fighting.

* * *

PSSM: Wrath of an Evil God! Sailor Soldiers confront their Dreams!

Bell towers sounded off in the distance as the hour of midnight crept into the world once again. Thin, serpent-like clouds slowly gathered in front of the full moon, cutting its shine off from the earth below. A calm breeze whistled through the would-be silent night, mimicking the chilling calls of restless spirits. Trees, bushes and grass swayed and rattled about in the breeze as if the darkness had given them life. A wise one might say that midnight, the Witching Hour, turned whatever part of the world it crossed into a land of despair and terror.

"Jii-San?"

"Yes, Hiro?"

Two men, one young and one old, were walking through a dark forest amidst the dead of night, garbed in the attire of Shinto priests. The younger man, Hiro, carried a lantern on a stick, while his elder held a harai-gushi pom pom.

"Are you sure I must do this alone?" Hiro asked, his voice slightly anxious.

The old man gave him a stern look. "You have been preparing for this your entire life. This will be your first true duty as a priest," he said stoically.

The two were silent for the remainder of their walk. Eventually, they came to a distinctive dirt pathway, marked by a wooden sign that read "A Cursed Sleep upon those who continue this path." Beyond the lantern, there was no light to show how far the path went. It seemed to descend into a sea of darkness that could be mistaken for a void if not for the trees that lined it.

"It's time, Hiro," the old man said. "Put the demon to rest once again."

"I will, Jii-San," Hiro sighed.

Before the young man could head off, his grandfather grabbed his shoulder. "Do you remember the Sealing Words you are supposed to say once the ritual is complete?" he asked.

Hiro sighed, as if he had done this a million times before. "Klaatu, Barada, Nikto."

The old priest nodded. "Good. Now repeat them."

"Klaatu, Barada, Nikto."

"Again," grandfather insisted.

"I know the words, Jii-san!" Hiro said sharply. "Don't worry, I will not let the demon awake."

The man's grandfather handed him the harai-gushi, signaling him to continue the journey on his own. The paper lantern as his only light, Hiro began the long and ominous trek into the void. As the tiny orange dot of light slowly faded away, the elder priest sat down cross-legged at the foot of the path, folded his hands, and closed his eyes to commence a period of meditation.

As Hiro made his way through the shadowy woods, he looked around and saw how the flicker of the lantern distorted the environment around him. The trees became warped into tall oak demons with jagged, ghoulish faces. Even the ground was turned into a gaggle of flailing black tentacles by the tiny flame. However, after years of mental and spiritual training, the boy had learned to keep his mind calm and collected, allowing him to press forward without a single shred of fear.

With time, he came to the end of the path, which led out into a small clearing. At the center of this area was a tall stone shrine that was covered in melted candles, ashes from burned essences, and scraps of paper. The center stone of the shrine had a spiral-shaped mark carved into it. Taking a deep breath, Hiro approached the shrine. He found two candles that still held a decent amount of wax and lit them. Then, setting the harai-gushi down, he got onto his knees, but his palms together, and began to say a prayer.

Once the prayer had been completed, Hiro was ready to begin the more difficult part of the ritual. He picked up the harai-gushi and began waving it back and forth over the shrine, all while repeating the words his grandfather had taught him.

"Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!"

As soon as he finished this part, he quickly reached into his sleeve and whipped out an ofuda with kanji scribbled all over it.

"AKURYO TAISAN!"

With a quick sweep of his arm, Hiro slapped the ofuda onto the spiral mark, sticking it to the stone tomb. As if in response, a slight breeze kicked up around the clearing, creating a sound that almost resembled a devilish whisper. Still, Hiro was able to keep his nerves in check.

"Your soul is at rest," he said with satisfaction. "Go in peace." He gathered up his things and began to walk away from the shrine, but remembered something at the last second. "Oh, wait! The Sealing Words!" Hiro quickly jogged back over to the shrine and raised both his arms up, preparing to finish his ordeal.

"KLAATU… BARADA… NI-"

Hiro's eyes went wide. He tried to recall the last words his grandfather reminded him of, but nothing was coming to mind. "Nectar… necktie… nickel… it was definitely an N word…" As hard as he tried, the last word was escaping him. Realizing he couldn't drag this out forever, he decided to settle for the next best thing.

"KLAATU… BARADA… NI-hgmhgmmm…"

He deliberately muffled the last word as if he were coughing. Once again, he felt a breeze blow around the shrine, only this time it was much more like a normal wind instead of spirits talking.

"Okay then! That's it," he said with pride. With that, Hiro began heading back up the path, smiling nervously to himself. Little did he realize that behind him, the spiral mark on the shrine began to glow a faint shade of purple.

Back at the entrance, the elder priest was entranced in a cloak meditative state, but was broken out of it when he heard the sound of crunching twigs and leaves. He opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of his grandson approaching.

"Did you complete the ritual, Hiro?" he asked.

The young man held his fake smile. "I wouldn't be back here if I didn't, would I?"

"Did you say the prayer?" the old man continued. "Use the harai-gushi? Apply the ofuda?"

"Yes, Jii-san, I did," Hiro said, walking past his grandfather with haste, as if trying to avoid the conversation.

"And did you say the words?"

Hiro froze. "Yeah. Basically…" he said, not looking at his grandfather.

The priest's face became alarmed. "Hiro. Did you say the words?"

"More or less," Hiro muttered.

"Did you say the exact words?" grandfather said, raising his voice.

His demeanor breaking, Hiro whirled around and narrowed his eyes at the old man. "Look Jii-san, I may not have said every single little tiny syllable, but basically I said them!" he barked.

The priest's expression suddenly dropped from interrogative to one of complete and utter terror and despair. "No, this is bad… this is horrible!" he exclaimed, freaking out.

"What? What's horrible?" Hiro insisted.

"Fool! Do you not remember the legend? If the Sealing Words are not recited correctly and exactly, then the demon will-"

The priest was cut off by the sound of tree branches shaking and snapping overhead. The two men's heads snapped upward, trying to locate the source of what was suddenly upon them. Leaves and tree branches began to tumble to the ground around them, accompanied by the sight of a large, lanky shadow streaking through the thicket above.

CRASH!

Hiro and his grandfather went dead still when they heard something heavy slam into the leaf-covered ground behind them. Slowly, they turned around to confront the monstrosity, but unfortunately, whatever was stalking them was outside the range of the lantern's light. However, they could hear a low, beastly growl coming from just beyond the darkness.

Thinking fast, the elder priest snatched the harai-gushi from Hiro and began waving it at whatever was out there. "KLAATU, BARADA, NI-"

Before he could finish, a glowing slit opened up in the darkness. It appeared to be an eye, only it was turned on it's side and it glowed a deathly blood red. No sooner did the eye open than did both men go still. They found themselves unable to move or speak, and on top of that they began to feel incredibly tired. Within seconds, they were on the ground, fast asleep.

As Hiro collapsed to the ground, the flame within the lantern finally went out, leaving the glowing red eye as the only light in the night. Whatever the eye was attached to, it began to let out a soft, playful, and eager laugh.

"Sweet dreams…"

* * *

Feeling as if a needle had been stabbed into her frontal lobe, Rei's eyes shot open, breaking her meditation and falling back onto her hands. Her breaths were brief and rapid, and she was sweating as if she had just run a mile. On top of that, there was a throbbing pain in her chest, as if her heart was about to burst. She reached up and pressed a hand over where her heart would be in a vain attempt to steady its beats.

"What was that…" Rei questioned, her voice faint. "What did I just feel?"

The raven-haired girl slowly stood up and stumbled over to her window, opening it to get some fresh air in. Immediately, a smooth, cool breeze blew in, but carried with it a whistle that sounded like the hiss of a demonic beast. The tiny sound was enough to send a chill down Rei's spine.

"Something evil has awakened… but how am I feeling it? My psychic abilities still aren't perfected," she said, searching her mind for any explanation. After a moment, her amethyst eyes went wide. "Could it be… this entity is just that powerful?"

A sense of dread overtook the young martial artist as she gazed out into the night, her eyes fixated on the full moon above. She had a feeling that a certain friend of hers would have her hands full very soon.

* * *

The cool tongues of crashing waves lapped against the sandy beach, surrounding the feet of a young blonde girl, whose hair was done up in a pair of buns and pigtails. She wore a long, flowy white sundress with a floral pattern that swished about in the gentle sea breeze. She stood with her hands behind her back, gazing out to the radiant orange sunrise that reflected off the glassy surface of the ocean.

"Usagi…"

The young girl smiled as she recognized the voice. She turned around and saw a tall man in a tuxedo and a white masquerade mask. He appeared to have ditched his usual cape and top hat, which didn't seem appropriate for the beach. Nevertheless, Usagi giggled and jogged over to the dark-haired man, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Tuxedo Mask…" she said longingly.

The man reached up and took her hands in his own, taking a few steps back as well. "Spin with me, darling…" he whispered.

Usagi nodded with glee and began moving in tandem with Tuxedo Mask. The two stretched their arms out as far as they could and began spinning in a circle. As the sun rose above the horizon, the two lovers continued to dance across the beach.

"Usagi…"

"Tuxedo Mask…"

"Usagi."

"Yes, my dear?"

"USAGI!"

The blonde girl suddenly found herself sitting up in a rough, plastic chair, her head spinning and drool leaking from her mouth. As she wiped her hazy eyes, she saw the familiar sight of Ms. Sakurada standing over her with an annoyed scowl.

"M-M-Ms. Sakurada! I'm sorry for falling asleep in class!" Usagi squealed with panic.

Without responding, the older woman slammed a piece of paper onto the bun-headed girl's desk. "Perhaps if you actually paid attention in class, you wouldn't get grades like this!"

Usagi looked down at the paper and smiled. "Hey, I got a Fifty! That's way better than my last grade," she beamed.

"Oh, for crying out loud…" the teacher sighed, facepalming. "Just don't fall asleep again!"

Usagi pouted as Sakurada walked back to her desk. Glancing at her grade again, the turned to the blue-haired girl next to her. "Psst, Ami!" she whispered. "How about a tutor session after school?"

The girl next to her looked up from her book and smiled. "Sorry, Usagi," she said, taking off her glasses. "But I already agreed to tutor Makoto today."

"What?!" Usagi gasped. She looked to the back of the room, where a tall brunette girl was smirking and waving back. "You traitor! You're supposed to be my tutor! You're not picking favorites, right?"

A pink hue suddenly spread over Ami's cheeks. "N-No! Why would you say that? I love all… uh, like all of you equally!" The shy girl quickly buried her face back into her book to avoid further conversation.

"Hmph! Fine, but you'd better tutor me next time…" Usagi muttered.

Just then, there was a sharp knock on the door. All the students, including Ms. Sakurada, turned their heads towards the sound, upon which a tall boy wearing the navy blue school uniform entered the classroom. He had short, spiky brown hair and deep, black eyes. Strangely enough, the boy had dark skin and didn't look remotely Japanese.

"Oh, hello! You must be the new student," Sakurada said cheerily. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."

The boy bowed respectfully towards his teacher. "Forgive me, I was told to arrive today. I apologize for any inconvenience."

"No, it's quite alright. Come on in and introduce yourself!" Sakurada smiled.

The new student nodded and walked to the front of the class, holding his bag in front of him and bowing. "Hello, everyone. My name is Murphy Godwin. I am a foreign exchange student from Greece. I look forward to spending the rest of the year with you all." He spoke with a soft, gentle tone that immediately made all the girls swoon, except for Ami and Makoto.

Usagi, on the other hand, was smitten. "He's so cute!" she squeaked, hearts in her eyes.

"Knock it off, Usagi," Ami whispered. "You'll scare him away like that."

The blonde girl looked offended. "Ami! Don't tell me you're turning into Rei!"

At the back of the classroom, Makoto clenched her fist. "Guys who get swooned over make me sick…" she hissed, her face contorting into one of sheer disgust.

* * *

By the time lunch came around, Murphy found himself surrounded by all the most popular and attractive girls in school, squealing at his handsomeness and begging him to tell them about Greece. The foreign exchange student seemed to relish in the attention, masking his obvious arrogance with a kind, humble smile.

"So, um… Murphy, if you don't mind me asking…" one girl with bright blue eyes asked shyly. "How many girlfriends have you had?"

"You're pretty built! Are you in any sports?" another asked.

"Maybe he's a gladiator!" a girl in the back squeaked, getting her some looks from the others.

Murphy laughed off each of these comments with a flirtatious grin. "Easy now, ladies. First off, of course I've had plenty girlfriends. Second, I haven't been involved in too many sports, this is just my natural figure," he said, gripping his arm. "And third, gladiators were Roman, not Greek. Don't worry, it's a common misconception."

"Built and smart!" the girls squealed. "He's perfect!"

The boy soaked up the flood of compliments with glee. "I may not have been famous for sports or smarts where I come from, but it there's one thing people loved about me, it was my ghost stories."

The girls all blushed. "Ooo, creepy!" one whispered. "We should totally have a slumber party and listen to your stories!"

"Why wait till then?" Murphy asked. "We have the whole lunch period. I could tell you one right now…"

"Yes, yes! Please!" the girls all cheered.

"Let me listen to that buttery voice…" the blue-eyed girl whispered seductively.

As the crowd of attractive young girls crowded around their new dream hunk, Usagi, Ami and Makoto watched from a distance. Once Murphy announced his story, the bun-headed girl leapt to her feet. "Oh, oh, I wanna listen!"

Before she got too far, Ami grabbed her arm. "No way, Usagi. I won't let you plague your mind with that nonsense!"

"But… Ami…" the blonde whined.

"He's right, girlfriend," Makoto said. "Ghost stories are nothing but cheap tactics for guys to make girls scared so they'll want to cling to them for safety." She sneered at the dark-skinned boy. "I'll bet everything I have that he's leading those girls on."

Back at the crowd, Murphy smiled and cleared his throat, preparing to share his famous scary story. "Long ago…" he began in a deep and foreboding, yet smooth and buttery voice.

"The god Morpheus was charged with communicating divine messages to mortals by appearing through their dreams. He shaped and warped their dreams to give mortals prophecies, warnings, and premonitions all dictated by Zeus, the ruler of all gods. However, Morpheus took great joy in the power he was given, and he began to grow mischievous, changing the dreams of mortals into his own twisted fantasies without Zeus' permission. This is how what humans called 'nightmares' came to be. But then, one night, Morpheus made a grave mistake. He turned the dream of a deeply religious King into a nightmare. This King worshipped Zeus devoutly, so he had been visited by Morpheus before, and he recognized this power as his work. Terrified, the King prayed to Zeus, begging for him to stop Morpheus from harming him ever again. Zeus was furious, and punished Morpheus by banishing him from Olympiad and trapping him in the Dreamscape forever. Even now, to this day, they say Morpheus still wanders the Dreamscape, invading the pleasant dreams of mortals and turning them into nightmares, all to get revenge on the King who ruined him."

Murphy's fangirl group just sat there in awe, silent enough to hear a pin drop. They all looked completely terrified, and yet strangely aroused at the same time.

"Please tell another one," the blue-eyed girl sighed. "I want to hear your voice again…"

The dark-skinned boy let out a light chuckle. "Well, if you ladies want something even better, how about joining me in the gymnasium after school tomorrow?"

The girls all immediately turned bright pink with excitement. "W-W-What are we gonna d-do?" they stammered.

"It's a surprise," he said with a wink. "But I promise it'll be lots of fun!"

"Ha! Yeah right!" a voice came from the back of the crowd. The girls parted to reveal Naru standing there with her arms crossed and a disapproving scowl. "I bet you're just planning on playing Spin the Bottle or something, aren't you?"

Murphy snickered and strolled over to the red-headed girl. "Would it be a bad thing if I was?" he asked slyly.

"Of course it is!" Naru snapped, furrowing her brow. "I know for a fact that most of these girls have lovers! You have no right to be flirting with the like this!"

"Lovers, huh?" Murphy stepped up to Naru and softly grasped her chin, lifting her face up to his. His deep, dark eyes practically absorbed any rational thought she had at the moment. "Does that mean you have one too, sweet thing?"

Naru stuttered, trying to push a response out of her mouth. Before she could though, a firm hand wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her away from Murphy. "Yes, she does," Mamoru said sternly.

"Mamoru!" Naru chirped, quickly hugging her body to the dark-haired boy like a scared animal.

"So you're her boyfriend?" Murphy asked sarcastically. "She's a lucky lady." He politely extended his hand to Mamoru. "Nice to finally meet some of the guys around here. Name's Murphy Godwin. I'm a Greek exchange student."

Mamoru stared at the boy, clearly distrustful. "Mamoru Chiba. Nice to meet you…" he said, reluctantly shaking the boy's hand. As he did, he could swear that for a fraction of a second he saw the boy's face distort into a sharp-toothed grin and eyes as black as the night. Mamoru flinched in shock, trying to pull away from Murphy, but the boy held onto his hand tightly.

"I look forward to sharing class with you, Mamoru Chiba," Murphy said, almost in a hiss. With that, he let go of Mamoru's hand and walked away, digging his hands into his pockets.

"Are you alright?" Naru asked, having noticed her boyfriend's surprised expression.

Mamoru was still stunned for a moment, but quickly shook it off, then looked down at the girl. "Yeah, he just had a strong grip," he laughed. "He sure seemed to like you."

Naru playfully slapped the boy's arm. "Shut up! Just because he's handsome doesn't mean I'm going to fall for him in seconds!" she whined.

"Oh, so you think he's handsome?" Mamoru teased. "Want me to set up a date between you two?"

"You are the worst!" Naru squeaked, stomping away from her boyfriend with her fists straight at her sides.

"Come on, babe! I'm just messing around," he said, chasing after her. "I'll buy us dinner tonight!"

Usagi and her two friends watched the scene play out. "That Mamoru is so mean to Naru!" Usagi said frustratedly. "She should dump him and give that Murphy a try!"

"If that guy so much as looks at another girl, I'm breaking his balls!" Makoto growled.

"Why do you care about their relationship anyway?" Ami asked. "I thought you and Naru weren't friends anymore."

Usagi held her chin up and pouted. "It's not like I care! I just don't want that jerk Mamoru to be dating anyone! He doesn't deserve a single girl on this planet!"

"That's a little harsh Usagi," Ami said.

"Well, I agree with you," Makoto declared, patting Usagi on the back. "Any guy who purposefully makes his girlfriend angry deserves to get dumped!" She and the blonde held their chins high like a pair of stuck up rich girls.

Ami raised and eyebrow at the two. "You two have some very narrow standards…"

* * *

Usagi stumbled through her front door, swooning about. "I'm hoooome…" she sighed.

"Goodness! Somebody seems to be in a good mood," her mother said.

"Yeah… there was a new boy at school today. He was so dreamy," Usagi said wistfully.

Mrs. Tsukino, despite being used to her daughter coming home like this, couldn't help but grin impishly. "I see… so did you talk to him? Get his number?"

Usagi's longing gaze quickly fell. "Um… well, I don't think he even knows I exist yet…" she said with dismay.

Her mother frowned as well. "Oh dear," she said. The older woman walked up to Usagi and put her hands on her shoulders. "Honey, even if boys don't talk to you, you should at least try talking to them."

"But he's an exchange student, mom!" Usagi whined. "Every girl in the school is all over him. There's no way he'll ever go out with me."

Ikuko lifted her daughter's falling face. "Then try to catch him when he's alone one day, maybe while he's walking home from school?" she suggested.

"But mom-"

"What have you got to lose?" Ikuko asked, cutting her daughter off while smiling sincerely.

Usagi made a pouty face. "Possibly the hottest boyfriend ever…"

Out of nowhere, the two women heard a pounding noise upstairs which quickly traveled to the staircase. A raging mad bull came thundering down to the first floor and burst into the kitchen, revealing itself to be Usagi's father. "What's this I hear about a boyfriend?!" he fumed, his face burning a blood-red hue.

Usagi and her mother stood bug-eyed. It never ceased to amaze them how protective the man was of his daughter. "N-Nothing daddy! I'm still you're innocent little daughter! Nooo boyfriend here!" the blonde chirped with a forced grin.

"Well… there may be one in the future," Ikuko whispered loudly, nudging her daughter with her elbow.

"Mom! He's right there!" Usagi hissed.

Meanwhile, the man before them was reaching his boiling point. "Some no-good skirt-chasing rapscallion dares to defile my precious Bunny Girl?!" Kenji snarled, rolling up one of his button sleeves and clenching his fist.

His daughter quickly sprang forward and grabbed his arm in an attempt to settle him down. "And I politely turned him down! I know very well that I'm too young for a boyfriend!"

As quick as a wink, Kenji's skin became a calm pale once again, and his face went from a ferocious lion to a docile sheep. "Oh, that's such a relief! I'm so glad my little girl isn't growing up as fast as I thought she was." With that, he adjusted his collar and began strolling back upstairs to continue whatever he was doing.

Usagi turned back to her mother and placed her hands on her hips. "You know mom, sometimes I wonder which of us is the bigger kid around here!"

"I'm just messing around, Usagi. Can't a mother encourage her daughter once and awhile?" she said with a wink, causing Usagi to blush lightly. The purple-haired woman then leaned into the blonde's ear. "Besides, the look on your father's face whenever this happens is priceless!"

Usagi gave a small smile. "Yeah, he always looks like he's about to explode!" she giggled.

Mother and daughter shared a laugh together over the man's incessant concern. However, unbeknownst to them, a television broadcast playing in the other room revealed an ominous occurrence…

"Just yesterday, the twelve missing students from Mugen Academy were found in the basement of the school," the reporter said. "They were all pale and appeared to be in a comatose state. Authorities suspect the students were either drugged or poisoned due to their conditions, but so far doctors have found no evidence of such actions. Just like the last few of these cases, all twelve victims were young girls."

* * *

Mamoru tossed and turned in his bed, kicking up the sheets to a state that would be difficult to fix in the morning. He couldn't get the distorted image of Murphy's face out of his head. It kept appearing and disappearing before him as quick as a camera flash. As time went on, he thought he could just block it out, and if not, he could handle a few nightmares.

Suddenly, the image began appearing faster and faster, now showing against the black of his eyelids like a strobe light. Then, in a moment that brought him true terror, he saw the image change briefly to one of Murphy's demonic form clinging to Naru's dead, bug-eyed corpse.

Mamoru shot straight up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat. He tried closing his eyes for a few seconds to see if Naru would appear again, but neither she nor Murphy showed up in his mind again. Still, not wasting any time, the dark-haired boy reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his cell phone. He dialed Naru's number as fast as his fingertips could move and brought the device to his ear. Looking over at the clock, he could see that it was half past midnight, well past when he knew Naru went to sleep. As such, the phone rang nearly five times, well past the number of rings she normally picked up on. He could only hope and pray that she would answer him.

"Hello?" a soft voice croaked from the other side.

"Naru!" Mamoru cried. "Are you alright?"

He could hear his girlfriend groan a little on the other side. "Yeah, I'm fine sweetie. But… why are you calling me at this time of night? I can't even keep my eyes open…"

Mamoru sighed, angry at himself for disturbing the girl. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, but you have to listen to me," he said with urgency.

"What is it?" the redhead asked.

"Please, whatever you do, don't go to school tomorrow," the boy practically ordered.

There was a brief silence. "What? Why?" Naru asked simply.

"Listen, I know it's going to sound crazy, but when I shook Murphy's hand earlier, I saw a vision of him killing you!" Mamoru said his voice aching.

Another silence passed between them. "W-What? What do you mean he was k-killing me?" the girl asked, her voice riddled with panic.

Mamoru pinched the bridge of his nose. "Trust me, I know it sounds strange, but I just have a bad feeling about him. Promise me you won't go to school tomorrow, no matter what."

Naru began to stutter. "B-But… how can I-"

"Naru, please!" Mamoru yelled suddenly, cutting his girlfriend off. Even through he couldn't see her face, he could imagine the shocked expression she was wearing after that. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I just don't want you getting-"

"Mamoru, don't say anything else," Naru said, cutting him off this time. "For you to call me this late in the night and then yell at me… this has to be something serious."

Even though he knew she was still confused, Mamoru sighed with relief. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll be skipping school tomorrow too." He then thought to himself for a second. "Well, I won't be there, but someone else will."

"You're going to give him control?" Naru asked nervously.

The boy chuckled to himself, realizing how risky it sounded. "If these bad feelings are correct, someone has to be there to do something about it. After all, I doubt the Sailor Soldiers know anything about this," he said.

He heard Naru giggle. "Well, if you do end up playing the hero tomorrow, I'll just have to give you twenty kisses instead of the usual ten…" she said flirtatiously, causing Mamoru to blush.

"I'll hold you to that," he bounced back. Hearing his girlfriend giggle some more on the other end, he said the next thing the came to his mind. "I love you."

Naru ceased her laughter. "I love you too," she responded sincerely. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Goodnight babe," Mamoru said before hanging up and setting the phone down. He laid back in his bed, his mind now clear of all negative thoughts. Knowing his precious Naru would be safe tomorrow allowed him to drift off back to sleep without any more frightening visions.

* * *

Over at Naru's house, the redheaded girl hung up her end of the line and was about to set her phone down, when a sudden and urgent thought snapped into her mind.

"Wait, I have to tell Usagi about this too!" she gasped.

Acting on impulse, she dialed her blonde friend's number at the speed of light and brought the phone up to her ear. She heard it ring once… twice… thrice… four times…

"Hey, this is Usagi…" a voice said through speaker.

"Usagi! It's me, Naru!" she began, speaking as fast as she could. "I didn't mean to wake you up, but-"

"I'm probably doing something super duper fun right now, so I can't get to the phone. Leave a message and I'll get back to you later!"

Naru scowled as she recognized Usagi's voicemail. Not bothering to leave a message, she hung up and dialed again, hoping a second ring would wake the girl up. Unfortunately, after several more rings, she got sent to the answering machine once again.

Over at Usagi's house, the blonde bun-headed girl was sound asleep. Despite being poised in a rather uncomfortable looking snail position, she was snoring away as loud as a lion roars. On the side of her bed, her cell phone screen lit up and began ringing, displaying a call from "My BFFL Naru-chan." However, the girl's inner somnambulist kicked in, causing her to grab the device with her toes and toss it across the room, landing in the pink trash can next to her desk.

After her third attempt failed, Naru decided to take the risk and leave a voice message. "Usagi, it's me, Naru. I'm sorry for calling you so late, and this is… probably gonna sound weird, but Mamoru told me that Murphy is going to do something dangerous at school tomorrow. Please, no matter what your parents say, you can't go to school tomorrow." She paused for a moment. "I… I know we haven't been on the best terms recently, but I still care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt. Please, just… stay away from that guy."

Hoping her message would get through to the girl, she reluctantly hung up the phone and set it down, laying back against her pillow and falling into a restless sleep.

* * *

The next day, Murphy had decided to entertain a group of nerdy girls, who were just as infatuated with him as the popular ones, albeit on a shyer scale.

"You should join me in the gym today after school," Murphy said, taking one of the girls' hands in his own. "I'm going to perform the ritual to summon Morpheus. Care to join?"

"Um… I-I have to study…" the girl said, looking to her friends for help.

"Don't worry, it'll be fun," Murphy insisted. "Besides, I would never take up the time of a pretty girl like you…"

The girl's face turned red as an apple, but a small smile began to cross her lips. "O-Okay… yeah, I'll be-"

She was cut off abruptly by Makoto stepping in and grabbing Murphy's hand and pulling it away from the girl's. "Scram, short stuff!" she barked. "Keep your hands off my man."

"S-Sorry!" the shy girl squeaked, grabbing her books and taking off with her friends, who were clearly terrified of the tall brunette.

Murphy smiled at the towering girl and softly squeezed her hand. "You're quite straightforward… I like that," he snickered.

Makoto grit her teeth and huffed in disgust, yanking her hand away from the boy's. "Listen, hot shot, I only said that to save those poor girls from pathetic teases like you. Now, unless you want your teeth knocked out, you're gonna stop playing with the girls around here!" She emphasized her point by grabbing his collar and stabbing her gaze into his with a fiery hatred.

"Makoto!" Ami and Usagi cried. They rushed over to pull their roughian friend off the young boy.

"It's not my fault they're throwing themselves at me," Murphy chuckled. "I'm just having a little fun, that's all."

Makoto's forehead popped a vein. "Goddamn tough guy…" It took all of Usagi and Ami's strength to hold her back.

"You know, as long as you're here, I might as well invite a couple pretty girls such as yourselves to my little game after school," the boy offered.

"Game?" they all asked in unison.

Murphy smiled, having peaked their interest. "Have you ever heard of the Bloody Mary game?" he asked. "What I'm doing is kind of like that, but instead, we'll be summoning Morpheus, the God of Dreams. If it works, he will reveal your dreams for all to see."

"Call me crazy, but I find that just a bit hard to believe…" Ami muttered.

"Thanks but no thanks, hot shot," Makoto huffed. "Even if that mumbo-jumbo bullcrap did work, nobody needs to see my dreams but me."

"I'll definitely be there!" Usagi beamed, hearts in her eyes.

"Usagi…" her two friends groaned.

Murphy just shot her a playful smile. "I'm so happy to hear that. Remember: after school in the gym. Don't miss it!" He gave the three a little wave before walking away with his hands in his pockets.

Usagi put her hands to her cheeks and batted her eyelashes. "This is so exciting! His voice is just so hypostic!"

"You mean hypnotic," Ami corrected.

"Whatever! I wish I could fall asleep listening to his voice…" Usagi sighed, skipping away on cloud nine.

Ami and Makoto looked at each other. "We're going too, aren't we?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"Do you really trust her with that bastard?" Makoto asked rhetorically.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ami said. The two began pacing after Usagi, as if they were her personal body guards.

* * *

Once the end-of-the-day bell rang, dozens of girls flocked to the gymnasium to participate in Murphy's little game. Lucky for them, all sports were practicing outside, so they had the gym floor all to themselves. Murphy had taken it upon himself to turn the overhead lights off, using only candles to light the center of the room. All the girls who'd chosen to attend sat in a circle around Murphy, who was sat cross-legged at the center of the gym floor. He smiled with satisfaction at the sight of so many girls taking time out of their day for him.

Among the crowd sat Usagi, Ami and Makoto, the former of whom wore a bright grin while the other two were less than cheerful. "This is awesome! It's like we're performing a demon ritual!"

"Usagi, demon rituals aren't-" Ami began before Makoto grasped her shoulder.

"Just let it go, Big Blue," the brunette whispered.

"Alright girls!" Murphy announced. "Thank you all so much for taking the time to join me today. I can promise you wholeheartedly that this will not be a waste of your time. Now, before we get started, I must say that this game calls for silence, so I'd appreciate it if you turned off your phones."

No complaints came from his audience, who seemed all too eager to shut off their precious devices in order to get on with their crush's game. Usagi followed in suit, but noticed as she pulled out her phone that there was a missed call from Naru. Letting out a quick, annoyed snort at the sight of the notification, she switched off her phone and put it away.

Murphy smirked at the girls' cooperation. "Now, I'm going to say the proper words to call Morpheus to this gym. However, when I give the signal with a snap of my fingers, I'm going to need you all to repeat these words three times: Otkin, Adarab, Utaalk. Do you understand?" he asked. The girls let out a few excited words of agreement, causing Murphy to grin in a slightly sinister manner. "Excellent…" he said, raising his arms to the sky and closing his eyes.

"Ever-shifting Morpheus, lord of the Oneiroi who bring us our dreams, true or false. Morpheus, swift-soaring courier, twilight messenger of the gods, kind one, dweller in the shadowed land of dreams, dark-winged god who shapes the visions of the night, who tells the tales that must be told, who strips us bare of secrets, who clothes hard truths in subtle raiment, child of the black night, child of the shrouded dark, in the realm of illusion you are king. Morpheus, harbinger of change, concealer of clues, you bury bits of truth among our wishes and fancies; with your aid can we see into the mist of the unknown, with your aid can we find the hidden pieces of the self. Morpheus, I praise and honor you."

Once he finished the prayer, Murphy snapped his fingers, telling all the girls to join in with the phrase he had instructed them with.

"OTKIN ADARAB UTAALK!"

"OTKIN ADARAB UTAALK!"

"OTKIN ADARAB UTAALK!"

For a brief moment, the gymnasium was absolutely silent. One could probably hear a feather drop if they listened hard enough. It almost seemed as if nothing was happening. Then, after several seconds, a gentle breeze picked up in the gymnasium, causing every object that obstructed the wind to howl like a restless spirit. The girls all felt chills run down their spines and all throughout their bodies, as if the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped twenty degrees. But as quickly as the air turned cold, it suddenly began to fluctuate back to warm. Not a blazing or uncomfortable heat, but a warmth that was just enough to send all to girls into an odd state of relaxation.

As all this was going on, a pink and purple cloud of vapor began to emerge above Murphy and his candle circle. Upon squinting, they could see a tiny silhouetted figure floating at the center of the dark fog. With a jingling POP, the fog dispersed, revealing a tiny, adorable chibi-sheep creature, which let out a soft, high-pitched "baaah."

"KYAAAAA!" the girls all squealed at once.

"He is upon us!" Murphy announced. "Behold, the almighty Morpheus!"

Usagi's eyes sparkled, and her fists were pressed against her cheeks. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! This is A-MA-ZING!" she practically cried.

"I'm not buying it," Ami said firmly. "It's got to be an illusion or something, created by all that mist. Right, Makoto?" She turned to the tall girl next to her, but she was spacing out at the sight of Morpheus. "Makoto?"

Inside the brunette's mind, she was freaking out just as much as the others. "Holy crap! That is so cute! That is literally the most adorable thing I've ever seen in my life! If I was allergic to cuteness, I'd be six feet under right now!" she thought.

"Makoto? Earth to Makoto?" Ami said, waving her hand in front of the girl's face.

"Er… yeah! Totally fake!" she spouted suddenly, snapping out of her daze.

Morpheus began to look around at the crowd of girls around him, as if scoping out which one he wanted to make contact with. He then floated down towards three girls who were sitting close to each other and, like a plush toy, softly bounced on each of their heads. This caused a cartoonish thought bubble to appear over the girls 'heads, revealing their "dreams" for everyone to see.

A girl with waist-length silver hair dreamed of being a princess in a medieval setting, swept up in the arms off a dashing knight in shining armor. The nerdy girl Murphy had talked to earlier dreamed of becoming a brilliant scientist and one day winning a Nobel Peace Prize for her accomplishments. The third girl, one with curly blonde hair, dreamed of one day becoming a famous pop star, singing on stage in flashy clothes surrounded by adoring fans. Some girls gushed at how cool the whole scenario was, while others chuckled at how cliche each of the girls' dreams appeared to be. Of course, they stopped laughing when Morpheus bounced on their head and revealed their own dreams.

"Got an explanation for all that, Ami?" Usagi asked.

The blue-haired girl was at a loss for words. "If there is a god of science, please lend me your strength…" she said to herself.

"And now, ladies and… well, ladies," Murphy chuckled. "Behold, as Morpheus demonstrates his greatest power of all!"

The chibi-sheep god drifted back to the center of the crowd and hovered directly over the dark-skinned boy. Both of them took a deep breath, and then Morpheus' eyes began to glow blood-red. Also, the warm feeling that had spread over the girls was now turned back into a spine-tingling cold rush. Several of the girls were taken aback by the sudden change of atmosphere, reacting almost with fear.

"This can't be good…" Ami whispered.

With a sickening crack, Morpheus' mouth sprang open to a one-eighty degree angle, allowing dozens of tendrils of black fog to gush out from his throat. The creature let out a banshee-like scream as the fog rapidly enveloped the gymnasium and engulfed the crowd of girls.

"Oh, shi-" Makoto began to shout before she was wrapped up in the fog along with Usagi and Ami.

Outside the gymnasium, Tuxedo Mask was slinking through the halls, searching for any signs of Murphy, the girls, or suspicious activity in general. Suddenly, the fog burst from the gym doors and crawled towards the tuxedo-clad man. He quickly brought his cape up to his face to shield himself, but nonetheless the fog crept past the dense fabric and made its way into his nose and mouth. Feeling as if his mind was being clamped by a vice grip, Tuxedo Mask began to lose consciousness, falling to the ground as his vision went black.

The dark fog began to spread like wildfire, dispersing throughout every room and hallway in the entire school. Any student, teacher or faculty member caught in its path, which was more or less everyone in the building, was forced into a state of unconsciousness as the fog entered their bodies. It even drifted out the windows and began circling to school grounds, snaking around the building itself. From the outside looking in, it looked as if a storm cloud had come down from the sky and covered Juuban Municipal Junior High School.

* * *

Ami slowly came to, feeling herself sitting in a chair and laying her head on a hard wooden surface. She eased herself up, rubbing her eyes and brushing her blue locks out of her face. As she looked down in front of her, she noticed several textbooks and papers scattered across her desk. It looked as if she had been doing schoolwork this entire time.

Wait… no, that wasn't right. She vaguely remembered being with Usagi and Makoto not too long ago. She remembered going somewhere after school… something about a ritual…

"Ami dear!" she heard her mother call. "Dinner's almost ready!"

Hearing her mother's voice snapped the blue-haired girl out of her train of thought. "R-Right! I'll be there as soon as I finish these equations!" she replied, following what her mind told her to say.

"Oh, take a break from that, honey," her mother chided. "You don't want to keep your girlfriend waiting, do you?"

Every cell in Ami's body locked up at those words. "G-G-Girlfriend?" Acting on impulse, she leapt out of her seat, abandoning her schoolwork, and dashed out to the living room just outside the kitchen. Through the door, she could see her mother slaving away over the stove. Then, looking over at the couch in the living room, she felt her mind go blank.

Sitting on the couch was the most drop-dead gorgeous girl Ami had ever seen in her entire life. She was tall and slender, not to mention… well-endowed. She had long eyelashes and silvery-blue eyes, which gave off a romantically warm feeling despite their icy cold color. However, her most striking feature of all was her hair. It was unnaturally long, coming down past her waist, and was a heavenly light blonde. Ami swallowed hard, ever so close to tossing aside logic and claiming that an angel now sat before her.

"M-Mom… who is this… r-radiant girl?" Ami stuttered.

The girl before her let out a tiny giggle. "You're adorable, sweetie," she said with a soft, seductive voice. Ami shuddered as the girl rose to her feet and walked up to her, standing a good five inches taller. "It's me, your girlfriend Eris."

"Eris? B-But you're so… beautiful," the shy girl said, almost unintelligibly.

"Hm… and you're so cute," Eris chuckled. She grasped Ami's chin between her fingers and lifted the girl's face, planting a feather-light kiss on her lips.

Ami felt warmth and numbness on her lips, which quickly spread all over her body. She could not believe what was happened get no matter how she tried to explain it. Suddenly, a frightening thought entered her mind. "Wait, my mom! She's going to-"

"Be very disappointed if you two don't get in here and enjoy your dinner!" Ms. Mizuno shouted, cutting her daughter off. "Cooking for three isn't as easy as it used to be!"

Ami was at a loss for words. She had a gorgeous girlfriend, and her mother was accepting of them? How long had she been living this incredible life? As she struggled to find an explanation, Eris gently stroked her face once again.

"Come on, let's not keep your mom waiting," the blonde whispered. "I'm sure she's ecstatic about celebrating your acceptance."

This just raised even more questions. "Acceptance?" Ami asked, clueless.

Eris just giggled again, shaking her head. "Don't tell me you forgot already. You got accepted into Harvard Medical School this morning, right? You're going to America!"

Nothing made sense to Ami anymore. Since when was this her life? As far as she could remember, she was still in middle school, and her mother would never let her be in a relationship with another girl. Despite all this, she couldn't shake a strange feeling she had within her. While she felt overwhelming confusion and disbelief, all of that was shoved to the side by the happiness she felt. Ami had never felt happier in her entire life. However unrealistic ethics world may be, she wanted to stay in it forever.

"Yeah… right! I remember now!" Ami beamed.

Eris smiled at her and kissed her again. "There's my brainy little girl." She took the blue-haired girl's hand in her own and led her into the kitchen to join her mother for dinner.

* * *

"-it!" Makoto finished, sitting bolt-right up after opening her eyes. Her vision was white for a moment, adjusting to the brightness of her surroundings after being in darkness. The brunette rubbed her eyes to ease the tightening of her irises, then began to take in the environment she now found herself in.

She was in a wide-open field, with no buildings, mountains, or even trees as far as the eye could see. The ground was completely covered in all different kinds of flowers; roses, tulips, lilies, daffodils, hydrangeas, orchids, lilacs, chrysanthemums, she could practically names them all. Looking up, she could see the sky was a serene aqua blue, with not a single cloud obscuring it or the lustrous yellow orb sitting at the center of it. Makoto closed her eyes and let the sun's rays fall on her face, soaking up its warmth and indulging in the calming sensation it washed over her body.

"Makoto?"

The brunette suddenly turned back to the field when she heard a voice call her name. Looking off into the distance, she could see two tall figures looming up over the horizon. One was a woman who wore a long, swishing white summer dress, and the other was a man who had on a casual polo and white khakis. Despite the sun behind them causing their faces to be hidden by shadows, Makoto knew right away who these two characters were.

"Mom? D-Dad?" Makoto said quietly, unable to believe what she was seeing. Not able to contain here happiness, she jumped to her feet and sprinted towards the two adults, wrapping her arms around them in a tight, tear-filled embrace. "What are you guys doing here? I thought I'd… never see you again…" she choked out.

"Oh Mako honey, why would you ever think that?" her mother said softly.

"We'll be right here for the rest of your life," her father soothed, gently stroking his daughter's hair.

It was at this moment that Makoto realized she was much shorter than her parents. Her arms were also slimmer and less muscular, and her hair wasn't tied up in its usual ponytail. On top of everything else, her chest felt significantly lighter. Realizing what this all meant, she let go of her parents and looked down at herself.

"I'm… a little girl!" she gasped.

Her mother giggled. "Of course you are, Mako. After all, this has been your dream since you were little," she said.

Makoto gave the woman a confused glance, but her father chimed in before she could question anything else. "Years ago, you always played in the garden and talked to the flowers. One day, you came up to us and said you wanted to live in Flowerland for the rest of your life."

"I said that? It's been such a long time since then…" the little brunette sighed. She could swear her last memory was being in middle school with a bunch of friends she had made. "But this feels so real, and it feels so good!" Makoto chirped, her voice turning shrill and chipper to match her new figure. She turned back to her parents, bearing a bright smile and shimmering eyes. "Can I really stay here forever?!" she asked excitedly.

Even though she still couldn't see their faces, Makoto saw both of her parents give her a smile. "Of course, Mako honey," they said in ominous unison.

However, Makoto was far too happy to see through the vibe the two adults were giving off. She giggled like the giddy little child she now was, then knelt down and began picking flowers and smelling them. The more she picked, the more entranced she seemed to become, as if the flowers themselves were boosting her euphoric state.

* * *

As Usagi came to, she found herself still wrapped in darkness. She felt cold, lonely, and sad, but was unable to move a muscle. Stranger still, she felt herself holding something in her hands, and she could tell her outfit was no longer her school uniform, but something much longer and poofier.

Without warning, a heavy set of wooden doors opened in front of the blonde girl, and she was overcome with the sounds of organ chimes and wedding bells. She realized that she was in a church, and wad now being greeted by so many people she knew; friends, family, classmates, teachers, and some she didn't recognize. Now that light was on her, she could see she was holding a bouquet of white flowers in her hands, and she was wearing a beautiful, poofy and lacy white wedding dress.

"I'm… a bride?" Usagi asked herself. "This is my wedding…"

One thing led to another in her mind, and before she knew it she was looking down the aisle and towards the altar to see who exactly she was getting married to. The young girl's eyes went wide as dinner plates when they settled on none other than Tuxedo Mask, standing in front of the altar with a warm smile on his face. Oddly enough, he still wore his masquerade mask, but that only fueled Usagi's excitement even more.

"Tuxedo Mask…" she gasped. "That's right, we're finally getting married! And he promised to let me take off his mask today!"

Her heart filled with love and her eyes filled with tears of happiness, Usagi hurried her way down the aisle, passing everyone she knew in her life on her way there. She saw her parents and Shingo, Naru, Motoki, Grandpa Hino, Ms. Sakurada, and of course, her three best friends, Ami, Rei and Mako. Even Luna was perched amongst the crowd, wearing an adorable little purple bow tie around her neck. The black cat looked so proud of her, ever wiping a tiny tear from the corner of her eye.

Usagi couldn't contain herself anymore. She finally reached the altar, noticing Tuxedo Mask reaching his hand out to her. She happily took it and allowed him to guide her up to the altar. No questions entered the girl's mind at this point. In her mind, this was everything she could want in her life. If it was dream, she hoped it would last forever.

* * *

Mamoru opened his eyes quickly and fiercely, drawing in a short breath of air once he could see again. The boy felt a breeze blowing around him, and tiny blades of grass rustling against his feet. It took him a moment, but he seemed to recognize where he was. Needing confirmation, the boy turned around and saw he was standing before a big blue house. It couldn't be though… this was his childhood home! The one he had lived in with his-

"Mamoru!" a sweet, female voice called. It sounded close, almost right next to him. The young boy looked to his left and saw a tall, feminine figure approaching him. "Are you ready to go, sweetheart?"

That voice… he recognized it somehow…. it was his mother! But how was she here? She and his father had both-

"We don't want to be a second late," another voice came, this one more masculine. Shifting away from his mother, Mamoru looked to his right and saw the towering figure of his father walking up next to him.

"Mama! Papa!" Mamoru said with a mix of wonder and joy.

Standing on either side of him, the boy's parents each reached a hand out to him. His mother took his left hand and his father took his right hand. They began to lead him down the path that led to their house, but in the opposite direction of the building. Mamoru looked ahead and saw they were bringing him towards a car; the car they always loved to go for rides in as a family activity.

Mamoru looked up to either of his parents, unable to make out either of their faces. His mother's face was covered by her long hair, and his father's face was shadowed by a baseball cap he was wearing. Something about this felt off to him. It almost felt like he couldn't see them not because their faces were hidden, but because he couldn't remember their faces at all.

"Where are we going, Papa?" the dark-haired boy asked his father.

Papa looked down at the young boy, who despite being faced directly faced by the man still couldn't see his face. "Don't you remember, son? We're going to-"

"HALT!"

The stoic, booming voice came from above them, echoing grandly as if a god had spoken down to them. With a flash and a gust, a man dressed in a tuxedo, a cape and a top hat swooped down in front of the family, cutting them off from the car. He slowly raised his head to look at them, his eyes hiding behind an elegant masquerade mask.

"Y-You…" Mamoru stammered. "Who… who are you?"

"Do not be deceived, Mamoru Chiba!" the tuxedo-clad man shouted. "Those are not your real parents! None of what you're seeing is real!"

Even as the strange mad said that, Mamoru could feel the hands of his parents turning cold as ice. He looked up to them and saw their skin turning grey, their nails growing sharp, and their faces turning deformed and demonic. His mother began to sprout roses and thorns all over her body, becoming a strange plant monster, while his father grew raven wings from his back and a single golden horn from the center of his head. The two parents-turned-monsters screeched at the young Mamoru and began to lift him into the air, raising their claws to slaughter him. The dark-haired boy could give no resistance or response, for he was completely paralyzed with shock, fear, and sorrow.

"Mamoru!" the masked man yelled with desperation. He sprang forward and leapt between the monsters, wrapping his cape around Mamoru and tackling him out of monsters' grasp. He landed with a roll and released the still shaking boy. "Stay here, and don't move!"

Mamoru still couldn't yield any response. He watched as the strange man in a tuxedo ran back towards his parents, or what used to be his parents, and engaged them in a fight to the death.

The Papa-monster charged from the back, aiming his horn at the tuxedo-clad man's spine, while the Mama-monster charged from the front, lining up one of her thorns with the man's chest. In the end, the caped crusader caught both spear-like attacks with his gloved hands, spun around and tossed the two aside. The Papa-monster spread his wings and took to the air, setting his sights from above. The Mama-monster thrust her arms into the ground, which began to stretch through the terrain like a pair of roots. Her hands eventually emerged beneath the masked man and grabbed his ankles, holding him down where he stood.

Hovering overhead, the Papa-monster dive-bombed his stylish opponent, extending his claws like a pair of bird talons. Right when the man was about to get torn to shreds, he slipped a long black cane out of his sleeve and stabbed it upwards, impaling the Papa-monster with its claws mere inches from his neck. The Mama-monster let out an enraged screech, stretching her neck and head towards the man like a striking snake, her needle-like teeth fully bared. His reflexes on point, the masked man tossed the Papa-monster aside, sliding its blood-leaking corpse off his cane, and threw the cane like a tomahawk towards the Mama-monster's incoming head. The weapon used fashion prop brutally penetrated the back of the monster's mouth, popping out of the spot where its skull connected to its spine. The thing immediately went limp, letting go of the man's legs and dropping to the ground like a rag doll.

Mamoru had gone fully numb from the pure terror he was experiencing. He was unsure as to whether he should be grateful to this man for saving his life, or fear him for murdering the things that had once been his own parents. He watched the man walk over to the Mama-monster's body and yank his cane out of its throat. Then, with a quick snapping turn of his head, he looked over at the boy with a stern expression.

"Please don't hurt me!" Mamoru cried, crawling backwards like a scared animal.

The masked man began walking over to the young boy, his demeanor not changing as he got closer and closer. As he towered over the boy, he suddenly raised his cane, as if about to hit him. But as Mamoru braced himself for the pain or even death, he was surprised to see the intimidating man casually put away his cane and extend his hand.

"Don't be afraid," the tuxedo-clad man smiled. "I'm here to help you."

Somehow calmed by those easy words, Mamoru reached up and took the man's gloved hand, which pulled him to his feet. "Who are you?" he asked eccentrically.

"Calm down, Mamoru. Clear your mind," the man ordered. "Remember my name: Tuxedo Mask."

Mamoru closed his eyes for a moment, searching the recesses of his mind for the memories this man requested. After only a couple seconds, the boy's eyes snapped back open and he looked up to the man with wide eyes. "I remember now! You're the… the voice in my head! The one who always takes over my body!" he said accusingly.

Tuxedo Mask held up his hands. "Try to stay calm! He feeds on the negative emotions you experience in this dream!"

Now Mamoru was just confused, and his face showed every ounce of it. "He? This dream? Are you going to explain anything to me?!" He was clearly getting frustrated now.

"None of what you're seeing right now is real," Tuxedo Mask actually began to explain. "This is an illusion conjured up by the Greek god of dreams, Morpheus."

"A god of dreams? You really expect me to believe that?" Mamoru scoffed.

"And yet you can believe monsters appearing all over the city almost daily and a group of magical girls fighting them in sailor uniforms?" the caped crusader retorted swiftly.

The dark-haired boy was about to shoot back again, but stopped himself when he considered what the man said. "Carry on," he said simply.

"The Sailor Soldiers are currently trapped in here with us," Tuxedo Mask continued. "They may be strong, but they were no match for Morpheus' mind tricks. We must join forces, search the dreamscape and free them all before they are consumed by their inner desires, just as you were about to be."

The boy was hesitant when he heard those words. "But… do our minds have to be one for it to work?"

"We don't have much of a choice. Either we cooperate, or we stay here forever as Morpheus consumes our minds." Tuxedo Mask nodded behind Mamoru, and when the boy turned around he saw the monster forms of his parents standing on the porch of his house, hissing deeply as if encouraging him to come back to them.

Turning back to his other self, Mamoru nodded solemnly. "Alright, let's go." He reached out with his right hand and locked fingers with Tuxedo Mask. "Hey, I just thought of something; how do you know everything about this Morpheus?"

The masked man just gave a small smile. "When you're as old as I am, you will have knowledge about many old legends of the Earth," he whispered.

"Wait, how old are you?" Mamoru said quickly.

"That's not important right now!" Tuxedo Mask snapped.

Not saying another word, Mamoru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The joined hands of the two young men began to glow a gentle white. Slowly, their bodies drifted towards one another…

FLASH!

* * *

Staring into his deep black eyes, Usagi reached out and took Tuxedo Mask's hands in her own, feeling their warmth and strong, comforting grip. Upon making contact with him, the girl felt her heart race faster than it ever had before. When she felt him slide a ring onto her finger, she began to wonder if she would be able to stay conscious or pass out from the overwhelming joy. Truly, this was the happiest moment of her life.

"I love you, Tuxedo Mask," Usagi said with stars in her eyes.

The masked man smiled gently at his bride-to-be. "I love you too, Usagi."

Up at the altar, a pastor smiled at the two lovers, bringing out his book and opening it to the matrimonial rites. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of these two souls in holy matrimony. Before we proceed with the vows, is there anyone here who believes for any reason that these two should not be wed?" The audience was silent. Usagi and Tuxedo Mask smiled with relief. "Very well. Let us begin-"

SMASH!

All heads were turned as the church doors were busted in by the mighty kick of a second tuxedo-clad man. The newcomer burst into the now echoing room and stormed down the aisle towards the altar.

"I object!" he declared loudly, making a beeline for his duplicate.

"T-Tuxedo Mask? What the…" Usagi stammered, confused beyond belief.

Suddenly, her fiancé stepped forward and put an arm in front of her. "Fear not, my love. I will defend you!" He drew his cane from his sleeve and stood protectively in front of Usagi.

The New Tuxedo Mask leapt up onto the altar and produced his own cane, swinging towards the duplicate and locking weapons with him. The sudden clash caused the audience to begin panicking, but strangely they didn't move from their seats. It was as if they were spectators to an entertaining show.

"What's going on?" Usagi asked frantically. "Who are you? Why are you fighting at my wedding?"

"Snap out of it, Sailor Moon!" one of the Tuxedo Masks said. "None of what you're seeing is real! This is all a dream!"

"Don't listen to him, my love!" the other said back. "He's just an imposter trying to steal you away from me!"

Usagi's mind began to race. She didn't know what they were saying anymore. She didn't even know what was going on anymore. Her wedding day was being ruined, but this supposed imposter who looked exactly like the man she loved was telling her none of it was real. The girl began to tear up and whimper. This was all too much for her.

"Your brooch!" the first Mask shouted as he clashed canes with his double. "The Brooch one you dress! You remember what it does, don't you?"

The blonde girl looked down to her chest, and the realization hit her as she was wearing an all too familiar golden brooch with a crescent moon shape on it. She reached up and touched it, immediately casing a faint silver glow to emit from it. Her hand felt like it had been placed in a pool of warm water.

"Don't take that off, dear!" the second Tuxedo Mask yelled. "You musn't tamper with your beauty because of this fool's words!"

The first Mask silenced his double by laying his cane upside his head. "Take it off and turn back to your true self!" He blocked another swings from his opponent. "Please! Your life depends on it!" he shouted desperately.

The warmth she felt from the brooch seemed to put some serenity into her mind. She also found herself feeling obligated to do as the one Tuxedo Mask said. Even though her wedding day had been turned upside down in matter of minutes, she rationalized that there was no turning back at this point. She knew all of her questions would be answered if she went through with what her gut told her to do. Yanking the brooch from her dress, she held it up to the sky and said the first thing that came to her mind.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

With a burst of light and pop of sparkles, long pinks ribbons flowed out of the brooch and surrounded Usagi's body. In a matter of seconds, the ribbons snaked around her and morphed into her sailor uniform, complete with red boots, white gloves, pink chest bow, and golden tiara.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

One Tuxedo Mask was distracted for a moment by the girl's transformation, allowing the other an opening to jab his cane into his chest and knock him down. "Sailor Moon, quickly! Destroy him with your tiara!"

The blonde heroine nodded and took off her shiny headdress, turning it into a sharp circular disk, and winding up her arm. However, in that moment, as she looked at the two clashing men in front of her, she realized there was no way to tell them apart. Which one was the real Tuxedo Mask? Who was her hero and who was the imposter?

"Don't hesitate, Sailor Moon!" one of them shouted. "Destroy him now!"

"He's lying to you! He must be destroyed, not me!" the other said, blocking another strike from the other's cane.

Sailor Moon's eyes frantically darted between the two, trying to find anything that could distinguish one from the other. At the same time, another part of her brain was trying to figure out which one was telling the truth. God forbid she throw her tiara at the one she loved. Eventually, both Tuxes broke their clash and stood parallel to each other, giving Sailor Moon identical, desperate glares.

"This man is not the real me! Destroy him before he corrupts you!" the man on the left shouted.

"I would never corrupt you, Sailor Moon! Don't fall for his lies!" the other Mask retorted.

The young girl was at her breaking point. "Will one of you at least say something different so I can at least get a clue?!" she cried.

CRASH!

FWOOSH!

In another sudden eruption of noise that no one was expecting, one of the church's stained glass windows exploded into multi-colored shards, followed by a fireball soaring through the new opening and smashing into one of the Tuxedo Masks. The handsomely-dressed man screamed in blood-curdling agony before evaporating into a cloud of pitch black smoke, his cries echoing through the church as the flames flickered away. Sailor Moon gaped in horror at the sight, her tiara still hovering above her palm. She turned to the window to see where exactly the attack had come from, only to have a giddy smile stretch across her face.

"Sailor Mars!" the blonde cried with joy.

Everyone's attention turned towards the destroyed window, greeted by the sight of a girl with long black hair in a red and white sailor uniform standing stoutly, her gloved hand smoking and aimed at the altar where the Fake Tux once stood. She gracefully leapt into the air and over the audience, landing next to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Bun-Head," Mars said, smiling at Moon. "It's not the easiest thing in the world to enter someone's dreams."

Sailor Moon's eyes went wide. "Wait, so this really is all just a dream?" she asked.

"I thought somebody actually marrying you would've made that obvious," Mars quipped, garnering a frustrated pout from her fellow Soldier.

"I hate to impose, but did you know that wasn't the real me?" Tuxedo Mask asked, slight anxiety in his voice.

Mars nodded reassuringly. "I couldn't sense any chi emanating from him, so it was easy to tell you two apart." She then turned to face the audience. "Of course, none of these people are giving off a presence either."

Sailor Moon turned toward the people who had come to see her wedding, horrified by what she saw. Every member of the audience, including her friends and family, now possessed pure black eyes and wide grins with razor-sharp teeth. They all began to converse towards the altar.

"What do we do?" Moon cried. "There's no way we can beat all of them!"

Sailor Mars turned around and smiled at her worry wart of a friend. "Calm down, Bun-Head. This is a dream, after all. You can do anything in a dream." The Soldier of Fire stepped out to the edge of the altar, bravely facing the monstrous audience. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, posing herself in the Tai Chi stance known as White Crane Spreads Wings. As the monsters from the crowd approached her, hissing like hungry wild beasts, Mars' body began to emit a wavy red glow, as if her body were on fire.

"FIRE SOUL BIRD!"

In one sweeping motion, Mars lurched her body forward and pushed her arms out towards the audience, a massive fireball erupting from her hands. As the fire approached the monsters, it suddenly stretched out horizontally from a spherical shape to a form akin to a bird spreading its wings. The flaming avian let out a mighty screech as it glided through the crowd of monsters, separating their upper halves from their lower halves with its brilliant blazing wings. Once all the monsters had been successfully chopped up and charred, the bird disappeared with a final caw, leaving behind a trail of deformed and smoking bodies.

"Incredible…" Tuxedo Mask said in awe.

"That was so beautiful!" Moon squealed as the bird faded away. Then, her attention turned to the bodies that lie strewn about the floor. "But so brutal…" she said in disgust.

Sailor Mars turned back and winked at Sailor Moon. "This illusion may have been conjured by an evil spirit, but it's still your mind he's invading. He may corrupt it, but you still control it." Noticing the blonde's confused stare, Mars decided to change her wording. "In short, you can literally do anything if you put your mind to it."

"Awesome!" Moon beamed. "So if I imagined a unicorn right now, it would appear?"

"This isn't the time for that, Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said sternly. "We still have to escape this nightmare and defeat Morpheus."

"But first, we need to find Mercury and Jupiter and snap them out of this too," Mars added.

Moon raised and eyebrow. "How do we do that?"

"I was able to find you without waking up," Tuxedo Mask said. "So all of Morpheus' victims must exist in the same Dreamscape, despite having different dreams. It may take a long time to find your friends amongst all the others."

"But there's no time for that!" Sailor Moon said, her voice full of concern. "What if their dreams turn into nightmares before we can find them? Or worse?!"

Sailor Mars thought for a moment, before coming to a grim conclusion. "I hate to say it, but that may be the only way we can find them."

Moon's eyes went wide again as her gaze whipped over to Mars. "What?!"

"Your brooch can detect cries for help, right?" Mars deduced, gesturing towards the blonde's chest. "If Jupiter and Mercury start having a nightmare, we'll be able to find them a lot faster."

"No, we can't do that to them!" Moon cried softly.

"I agree with Sailor Mars," the masked man interjected. "We can't waste time searching the entire Dreamscape. Our best hope is to wait for the cries and then follow them." He took note of the girl's pained expression and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's our best option at this point. I promise you we won't let them suffer for long."

Sailor Moon wiped away a tear that was brimming on her eyelid, a small amount of confidence restored by the man's words. "Okay… we'll save them! No matter what!" she declared, smiling brightly once again.

Tuxedo Mask smiled back. "That's my brave sailor," he said, causing the girl to blush.

"Ahem…" Mars coughed, getting the two's attention. "No time to waste. The sooner we get moving, the better chance we have of finding them!"

"Right! Let's go wreck some dreams!" Sailor Moon chirped, springing off the altar and heading towards the church doors, followed by Sailor Mars and Tuxedo Mask.

* * *

Ami sat next to Eris at the dinner table, holding her hand and smiling as her mother set three mouth-watering plates of tonkatsu in front of them. Ms. Mizuno sat parallel to them, pleased that the two girls looks anxious to dig in.

"This looks delicious, mom!" Ami chirped gratefully.

Eris giggled at her girlfriend's cheerfulness. "Thank you very much, Ms. Mizuno," she said to the older woman.

"I'm always happy to cook for my girls," she chuckled back. "Now then, let's not let good food go to waste!"

"Itadakimasu!" the three said in unison before grabbing their silverware.

As they ate, Ami couldn't shake the beaming smile from her face. Being able to share dinner with a girl she loved and an approving mother was something she had always wanted, but never thought was possible. Part of her was thinking there may be a God after all to bestow such an incredible gift upon her. She glanced from Eris over to her mother, then back to Eris again, only to catch the brilliant blonde smiling back at her. Yes… this was the perfect life.

"So Ami," her mother spoke up. "How do you feel about becoming an American in just a few months?"

Ami hesitated for a moment, struggling to conjure up any thoughts she had on the subject having only discovered the news moments ago. Luckily, she masked this by taking another bite of her dinner, giving her time to formulate an answer. "Well… going somewhere foreign is going to be nerve-wracking, no doubt. But if it means becoming a doctor, then I'll do whatever it takes!" she declared.

Ms. Mizuno smiled. "Too bad you won't be able to enjoy my culinary masterpieces while you're there. You'll have to get used to ordering fast food."

Ami rolled her eyes. "I've heard there's plenty of Japanese restaurants in America," she retorted pleasantly.

"I for one couldn't be prouder of my little genius," Eris interjected.

"Oh Eris…" Ami muttered, blushing nervously.

The blonde smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at the blue-haired girl. "You're going to be the greatest doctor in Japan, Big Blue."

Ami felt those last two words strike her like a hammer to her brain. Why did that cute nickname, which she remembered Eris calling her in all the years they've been together, sound so wrong coming from her lips? Another jolt came to her when she felt the girl's soft hand on her thigh.

"Uh… thanks. I'm flattered…" Ami stuttered, feeling Eris now squeezing her leg. To her surprise, her girlfriend began to lean in. "Um… table manners, sweetheart!" Ami said, feeling strangely compelled to back away from the romantic gesture.

"Relax, baby. It'll just be a quickie," Eris whispered.

Begrudgingly, Ami stayed put and allowed Eris to place her luscious lips on her own. Ami's face turned red, knowing her mother was watching them. However, when she looked over at the older woman, she was met with an oddly pleased girl that looked extremely out of character for her. Suddenly, her attention was drawn back to Eris when she felt her slip a hand behind her head and pull her into a deeper kiss, teetering on the line of a French kiss. She even felt her other hand begin to move further up her leg!

"E-Erish!" Ami cried, her words muffled by the kiss. "Cn't thish wait?!"

The blonde quickly broke the kiss and shot her a fierce, siren-like glare. "Be quiet and enjoy it, kitten…" she hissed before crashing their lips together again and forcing her tongue down the shy girl's throat.

"S-Stop!" Ami demanded. She looked over to her mother. "M-Mom, t'll her t' shtop!" However, all she got in response was a devious, approving grin from the woman.

"Don't worry, Ami," Ms. Mizuno sneered. "Show me what you've learned from her…"

Ami couldn't believe what she was hearing. Even if her mother approved of their relationship, she would never approve of this kind of behavior. Then, as soon as Ms. Mizuno gave the green light, Eris grabbed Ami's shirt and pulled her out of her seat, pushing her down onto the dinner table and knocking off their plates, causing them to shatter against the floor.

"I told you to be quiet!" Eris snapped. She bent over and began laying rough kisses and bites on Ami's neck. She roughly grabbed the girl's chest with a vice grip and shoved her other hand up her skirt.

"N-No…" Ami whimpered. This was insane! Was she actually going to be taken like this? By her loving girlfriend? In front of her own mother? She felt Eris dig her sharp nails into the precious spot at the top of her legs…

"NO!"

Using all of her strength, Ami brought her leg up to Eris' torso and kicked out, throwing the blonde off her and to the ground. She quickly got off the table, panting heavily with tears falling from her eyes. She held onto her abused chest and adjusted her skirt so she looked presentable once again.

"Why… why did you do that, Eris?" Ami sobbed.

Eris slowly rose to her feet, looking up at Ami with blank, pupiless eyes. "You've made me very angry, Big Blue…" she hissed.

"E-Eris?!" Ami cried with surprise. She began backing away from the blonde, terrified by her sudden and frightening change. She didn't get too far, though, as she felt her mother snake and arm around her neck and put her in a choke hold. "M-Mom… what're you-"

"Pushing away your girlfriend like that… I thought I raised you better!" Ms. Mizuno said harshly before tossing her daughter to the ground.

Ami struggled to her hands and knees, looking up at the two women who stared back with devilish white eyes and malicious grins. "What's wrong with you two?" Ami asked, her voice breaking with sadness and fear.

Neither woman responded to the girl's pleas. Instead, they reached out and joined hands, their bodies beginning to glow with a black and purple aura. They became engulfed in this aura until they were nothing more than a pair of black masses that slowly merged together…

WHOOSH!

A bright purple light shone throughout the room, forcing Ami to cover her eyes. When she opened them again, she was greeted by the sight of a monstrous woman with ghostly white skin, long black nails and waist-length blonde and blue hair. Her eyes were black with red pupils, her ears were sharp and elf-like, and she was dressed in a tight black floor-length dress with a slit that ran up the side, exposing almost all of her right leg.

"Who… who are you?" Ami demanded anxiously. "What happened to my mom and Eris?!"

The monster before her simply giggled. "Who I am doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're mine!" She began to strut towards the frightened girl, reaching out to her with a bony hand.

"Stay away from me!" Ami screamed.

"AMI!"

The commotion between the two was suddenly interrupted by a voice that rang throughout the room. Before either colud ask questions, three people burst through the front door to the apartment. One was a man adorned in a tuxedo, a cape and a masquerade mask. The other two were girls dressed in sailor uniforms, one red and one blue and pink.

"You three…" the seductress monster said. "You will suffer for defying Morpheus!"

"Morpheus?" Ami asked. She was beyond confused now.

"Ami, it's us! Your friends!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"We're here to save you from this dream!" Mars said.

Ami had no time to form a response before the seductress retaliated. "I don't think so!" she screeched as she swept her arm towards the newcomers, swarming them with the same black aura she had used to transform. The three were engulfed in the dark energy and frozen in place.

"I… I can't move!" Tuxedo Mask grunted.

The monster laughed. "Who's going to save your friend now?"

"She will!" Sailor Moon declared. "Ami, you have to remember who you are! Transform into Sailor Mercury!"

Ami tried desperately to process all of this. "Sailor… Mercury?" The words sounded familiar, but the meaning escaped her.

"Give up! She belongs to me!" the seductress shouted as she began to stalk towards the blue-haired girl once again, licking her lips with lust.

Sensing the danger she was in, Ami heard a voice suddenly enter her head and speak a strange phrase. At the same time, she unconsciously reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a blue pen with a gold cap. Without a second thought, she knew exactly what the pen was and what the phrase meant. She close her eyes and held it up to the sky…

"MERCURY POWER! MAKE UP!"

With a shimmer of blue and a swish of crystal water, a torrential wave erupted from Ami's pen and washed over her. The cool liquid constricted around her arms, legs and torso, forming her blue and white sailor uniform. The water cloak then disappeared, allowing her tiara to materialize atop her forehead.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for wisdom! I am Sailor Mercury! In the name of Mercury, YOU SHALL REPENT!"

The seductress monster snarled at the now transformed Sailor Mercury. "Are you trying to tempt me with that new outfit?"

"Sailor Mars, you said this was all a dream right?" Mercury asked, ignoring the monster's comment.

"That's right, Mercury!" Mars shouted back.

"And how will that knowledge save you from me?" the monster growled.

The Soldier of Water gave the witch a fierce look. "If this is my dream, then I can bend it to my will!" she shot back.

Sailor Mercury closed her eyes and spread her arms wide. The temperature in the room suddenly dropped to freezing levels, causing thick frost to form on the walls and ice to form on the floor. The seductress wrapped her arms around herself, trying to conserve her body warmth.

"Y-Y-You… b-bitch!" she chattered with rage. She tried to reach out and claw at Mercury, but she discovered her feet were frozen to the ground.

"That's enough from you!" Mercury spat, cutting off her nightmare's words. She brought her hands together, telepathically pulling shards of frost off the walls and compressing them into a massive floating object shaped like a sword.

"MERCURY AQUA RAPIER!"

She thrust her arm forward, sending the ice sword flying forward a lightning-fast speed and skewering the seductress like a sardine. The monster let out an agonized cry before turning into a pitch-black shadow and disintegrating into the air. Once she was gone for good, the others were released from their dark energy prisons and quickly ran over to support their exhausted comrade.

"Are you alright, Mercury?" Moon asked, her voice deep with concern.

The Soldier of Wisdom was still trembling slightly, clearly shaken up from her experience. Despite this, she looked up at her blonde friend and forced a smile. "I… I think we've been through a lot worse," she quipped, clearly sounding unsure of her words.

Sailor Moon took note of her friend's tone and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't worry. We're all going to get out of this." She broke the hug, but still held onto the girl's shoulders. "Now we just need to go and find Mako."

Hearing that name, Mercury's eyes went wide. "Makoto! She's… where is she? Do you guys know?" The panic in her voice was clear as day.

"Most likely, she's in a similar predicament to the one you were just in," Tuxedo Mask said forebodingly. "I suggest we get a move on and find her before we risk another close call."

"You're right! Let's hurry and keep searching!" Moon said with determination.

The group of four ran out the door to Ami's apartment and into the dark abyss of Morpheus' dreamscape, desperate to find their last missing friend.

"Hold on, Makoto. Please be okay!" Mercury thought to herself.

* * *

A steady breeze glided across the flower-covered meadow, causing Makoto's chestnut-colored ponytail to flutter about. She eagerly skipped around the field, plucking one of each kind of flower with one hand and organizing them into a bouquet with the other. She took extra care to make sure she included a purple rose, her mother's favorite flower, and a rather large sunflower, her father's favorite.

"Mom, Dad, look!" the tiny girl chirped as she skipped over to her parents, who were relaxing amongst the bloom.

"What do you have there, sweetheart?" her mother asked.

The brunette held out the flowers she had gathered. "I made this bouquet for you two! Isn't it pretty?" Her parents gently took the flowers from her. "Well, is it?"

"It's lovely, Mako honey," mother said with a soft smile.

"Dear, it looks like something is missing from this bouquet," father interjected.

Mako's face grew concerned. "W-What is it?" she asked nervously. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint her parents.

Her mother carefully inspected the flowers. "You're right, sweetie." She turned to Makoto. "Mako, you forgot to include your favorite flower in here. This can't be a complete family bouquet without all of our favorites."

The brunette felt both relieved and energized once again. "Oh, you're right! I'll go look for it right away!" she said before skipping off once again. Her parents watched her go with pleased, yet strangely malicious grins.

"Sasanqua… sasanqua…" Makoto muttered to herself as she relentlessly scanned the field for the missing piece of her gift. After several minutes of searching, her eyes settled on a single pink flower with a yellow center, sitting by itself amongst the other species. "Ah! A sasanqua!" She quickly picked the flower and rushed back to her mom and dad.

"I found it! I found it!" she cheered happily. "Let's put it in the bouquet!"

Before she could reach them, Makoto saw both of her parents stand up. Her father held onto the bouquet while her mother approached her. The way she moved with an unsteady gait gave Makoto cause for pause, but she went to meet her nonetheless.

"Dad, come here! I got the sasanqua! Bring the bouqu-"

She stopped when her mother stepped up to her and towered over her with an unnaturally ominous air around her. Makoto stared up at her face with an innocent smile, but the sun shining brightly behind her cast a shadow over the woman's eyes. The way her face was silhouetted sent a chill down Makoto's spine. Why was she feeling this way around her own mother?

"I think it would look much better…" The woman took the sasanqua from her daughter's grasp and brought it up to her brown locks. "Tucked in your hair like this." She stuck the stem into Makoto's hair, just above her ear, and arranged it so it would stay where it was.

The brunette's smile couldn't be any brighter. "Thanks mom! I bet I look super pretty!"

"Of course you do," her mother responded sweetly. "My little flower girl…"

SNAP!

Makoto yelped when she felt a sharp prick right where her mother just placed the sasanqua. "Ow! What the heck?" She quickly reached up to pull the flower from her hair, but was shocked by what she saw. The sasanqua had lost its lively pink shade and was now a dead, decaying brownish-grey. Not only that, but its once smooth stem now sported a line of thin, needle-like thorns that were glazed with a red liquid. Makoto soon realized what the redness was exactly when she felt a warm, wet sensation trickling down the side of her head.

"Mom, what was-"

Her confused whine came to an abrupt stop when she looked back up and saw both of her parents now standing over her, gazing down with fierce, glowing red eyes. Her father, still holding the bouquet, gave his daughter's gift a tight squeeze, causing the flowers to instantly turn the same shade of grey as the sasanqua, and eventually crumble into dust.

Makoto was at a loss for words. She felt confused, terrified and overwhelmed but had no idea how to react. As the tiny girl looked around, she saw that a layer of dark clouds now covered the sky, preventing any sunlight from reaching the flowers below. The flowers in question that had once bloomed for miles were now shriveled, grey, and covered with thorns.

"Mom? D-Dad? What's going on?" Makoto stuttered, her voice barely a whisper. Tears had begun to form on the edges of her eyes.

"We just want you to be happy, Mako honey," the two adults said in robotic unison. "Unfortunately, there's nothing we hate more than your happiness."

The little brunette looked on in utter terror as her parents' bodies split apart and twisted into a mass of green vines, which all tangled together and formed a massive, hulking plant monster. Its eyes and mouth were hollow like a ghost, and it stood taller than the height of three tiny Makotos.

At this point, Makoto knew exactly what she had to do. She spun on her heel and ran in the opposite direction of the beast that used to be her parents. However, she didn't get far, as the dozens of dead flower that lined the ground suddenly shot up and snared the girl's arms and legs, dragging her down to the dirt below. She squirmed and struggled for all she was worth, but her scrawny limbs couldn't even break one of the shriveled stems.

The plant monster stomped over to the restrained Makoto, his broad feet crushing any flowers he walked over into dust. He looked down at her helpless little form and couldn't help but let out a deep, guttural chuckle.

"What are you? What did you do with my mom and dad?!" Makoto screamed with anger as tears streamed down her face.

The beast laughed once again. "Oh, Mako honey, don't you see? We are your parents." He plunged one of his hands into his chest and pulled out a whip that appeared to be made for a plant stem, only it was lined with razor-sharp thorns. "But that doesn't change how much we hate you."

WHA-TSH!

The plant monster brought down his whip onto Makoto's helpless body. Her vocal cords were shredded as she released a shrill, pained scream that echoed across the dead meadow. The whip left a thin, but deep bloody cut in its wake that ran from the top of her chest to the edge of her waist.

"You were always such a delinquent!" the monster roared.

WHA-TSH!

"GYAAAA!" Makoto screamed again. The monster's whip now left a wound that crossed the other, forming a delicate, yet gruesome X-mark on her body.

"You caused so much trouble for us, getting into fights with other students!"

WHA-TSH!

"AAAUUGH!" This time, a bloody mark stretched from one shoulder ot the other. At this point, her clothes had been completely ruined.

"And all you ever talked about was boys! Such a slut!"

WHA-TSH!

"YAAAHHH!" The whip struck just above Makoto's waist, barely missing the spot he had intended to strike.

"You're the one we hate most in the world, Makoto," the monster growled, the pure hatred in it's voice clear to anyone who heard it.

Makoto struggled to open her eyes. They stung with an endless flow of tears, and her teeth were numb from pressing them together to try and bear the pain. She glared up at the plant monster with defiance.

"You're lying…" she hissed. "My mom and dad don't hate me! You're a liar!"

The beast shook its head and chuckled at the brunette's remark. "Do you truly believe that? Even after what you said before we left you?"

Makoto's eyes went wide and her pupils dilated. These words sparked painful memories in her subconscious, and anguish she once though she'd repressed came bubbling back to the surface. This new grief was almost enough to numb the agony caused by the monster's whip.

Seeing it had struck a nerve, the plant monster raised its whip and prepared to strike once again. This time, targeted the girl's throat.

WHA-

"MERCURY RIPPLE BARRIER!"

-TSH!

The beast was stunned when a strange watery dilation in the air appeared just above Makoto and blocked his incoming whip. "What the hell?!" it barked in anger.

"MAKO!"

The brunette and the beast looked up to identify the voice, only to be greeted by four newcomers descending from the sky. Three wore color-coded sailor uniforms and the fourth sported a tuxedo. They landed with a mix of grace and intensity that caused the deceased flowers around them to crumble. Makoto's eyes widened with confusion, but the plant monster just laughed.

"So it's you four. I see you've broken the Soldier of Mercury out of her spell," it growled with a grin. "You should have escaped the Dreamscape when you had the chance. Now your poor friend here will have to watch me kill all of you one by one."

"That'll never happen!" Moon declared angrily.

Mercury stepped to the front of the group, her fists clenched. "Let her go right now, or I'll drown you!" she warned.

Mars quickly put a hand on her friends shoulder and stepped in front of her. "Relax, Mercury. This monster is a plant. My fire will incinerate him in no time…"

"FIRE SOUL!"

The Soldier of Passion summoned a fireball into her palm and whipped it at the plant monster, only for her attack to be swatted aside by his whip.

"I-Impossible!" she cried. "That should have turned you to ashes in seconds!"

"It would, Sailor Mars, if this were real life," the beast snickered. "Pity the master's Dreamscape does not abide by the rules of your earthly realm!" He shook the ground with a mighty stomp, causing the hundred of dead plants to animate and attack the Sailor Soldiers. Mars and Mercury were quickly snatched up.

"Guys! No!" Moon screamed, chasing after her friends' captors.

"Sailor Moon, watch out!" Tuxedo Mask shouted, but it was too late. Dozens of shriveled plants snaked around Moon's body and dragged her into the air. The masked man tried to bring out his cane, but not even he could fight back against the lightning-quick zombie plants.

The plant monster let out a triumphant, howling cackle. "Feel my wrath!" With a squeeze of his hand, the plants began pulsating with dark energy, burning the Sailor Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask and sucking their energy.

Makoto couldn't watch anymore of this. "Stop it! Why are you hurting them? I don't even know them!"

"Yes you do, Makoto!" Sailor Mercury screamed through the pain. "You have to remember us! We're your friends! We're trying to save you!"

The brunette couldn't think of a response. Part of her subconscious wanted to admit she knew who these people were, that she had seen them before, but how could she? She'd never made any friends after…

It was at that moment that everything came flooding back. Transferring to a new school, meeting new people, getting attacked by a monster, and finally, unleashing her powers. Out of nowhere, something clicked in Makoto's mind, and she felt a deep rage boiling up deep within her heart.

"You won't last much longer, Sailor Soldiers!" the plant beast snarled with glee. "And once you're all dust, Morpheus will send you back to your dreams, only this time, there will be no escape!"

"You're pathetic…"

The monster raised an eyebrow at the sudden comment. He turned around fast to see the helpless young girl he had been torturing now straining against her bonds. "What was that?" he demanded.

"Freaks like you… who hurt people that are weaker than them… REALLY PISS ME OFF!"

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

With a mighty thrust of her entire body, Makoto ripped apart the plants that held her to the ground. The action caused the plants' thorns to gouge several parts of her body, but she was far to enraged to feel any pain. The tiny girl displayed an incredible amount of strength and determination as she turned to face her nightmare.

"She's… free!" Sailor Mars grunted, her voice weak from the dark energy.

"Makoto… remember what you have to say!" Sailor Moon shouted. "T-Transform… into Sailor Jupiter!"

The brunette gave her friend a simple smile before reaching into her skirt pocket and yanking out her green transformation pen.

"JUPITER POWER! MAKE UP!"

With a rumble of thunder and a crash of lightning, jagged bolts of electricity shot out of Makoto's pen and struck her body in a violent flash. The deadly electricity danced across her arms, legs and torso, forming her green and white sailor uniform. The bolts then dispersed into a shower of sparks, allowing her tiara to appear atop her forehead. By the time her attire had completely formed, she discovered her body had also returned to it's tall, strong and busty stature.

"I am the pretty soldier who fights for love and for courage! I am Sailor Jupiter! In the name of Jupiter, I'LL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

Seeing their friend transform, the Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask smiled with joy, except for Mars, who only sneered. "Kami-sama, it's about time…" she jabbed.

"You think a useless transformation like that will stop me?!" the plant monster roared. Its body suddenly began to bulge and expand. The surrounding dead flowers snaked their way up its body and merged with it, causing it to grow to mammoth proportions. Soon enough, the plant monster was large enough to obscure the entire sky, and clasped in it's massive hand were Jupiter's friends. "Come! Take your friends back from me, if you think you can muster the strength!"

Sailor Jupiter gazed up at the towering behemoth, her composure not breaking for a second. In the end, she couldn't help but smile. "You really shouldn't be talking to me about strength…" With that, she crossed her arms over her chest and activated the lightning rod on her tiara.

"Jupiter, my guardian planet… bring forth the storm, summon the clouds, AND BRING DOWN THE THUNDER!"

The dark clouds above began sparking and swirling with electricity. Then, in a blinding flash, a gargantuan bolt of lightning flew down to the earth and struck Sailor Jupiter, engulfing her entire body. The plant monster felt her energy rising higher and faster than ever before. Terrified and thinking fast, it raised its free hand and swung its down towards the Soldier of Courage, crushing the ground where she stood and dissipating the lighting.

"JUPITER!" the Soldiers all screamed in horror. Mercury felt her chest tighten at what she just saw.

The plant monster spent a few seconds gloating over his apparent easy victory, but a few seconds was all her was granted. Bolts of electricity suddenly slipped through its fingers and formed the monstrous, reptilian head of a dragon that clamped its jaws down on its hand.

"ARGH! What the hell is this?!" the monster roared in pain. The lighting dragon began lifting the monster's hand off the ground, revealing none other than Sailor Jupiter standing below and conducting the electrical beast.

"You're just another damned tough guy… all bark and no bite" she shouted, raising her arms to the sky and sending her dragon flying at the monster's torso.

"SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!"

The serpentine thunder beast charged forth with a sky-shattering screech, plunging its maw into the plant monster's torso and tearing through the layers of dead flowers that made up it's body. Within seconds, the dragon had burrowed all the way through the monster's body and now slithered out the other side. It let out a final victorious roar before dispersing and sending chunks of the plant monster flying in all directions. The Sailor Soldiers were released from captivity and began tumbling towards the ground in free fall.

"FLOWER HURRICANE!"

Using her perfume gust ability, Jupiter created a great cushion of air that allowed her friends a safe landing. She ran to their sides without hesitation.

"Are you guys alright?" Jupiter asked nervously. "I didn't overdo that last attack, did I?"

Sailor Mars just sat up and gave the brunette a smug smirk. "Seriously? You dreams about fowers?"

Jupiter was about to offer a rebuttal, but the sound of Mercury groaning in pain drew her attention. She quickly rushed to the blue-haired girl's side. "Hey, you okay there, Big Blue?" she asked.

Mercury slowly opened her eyes and gazed up as the gorgeous brunette looming over her. "Am I in Heaven…?" she said whimsically.

"You will be if we don't escape soon," Tuxedo Mask interrupted. "Even though we've broken free momentarily, Morpheus' powers will eventually send us back to our dreams."

"Then we have to get out now!" Mercury said as Jupiter helped her to her feet.

"And how are we going to do that?" the Soldier of Thunder asked. "Say the magic words or some crap?"

"Actually, yes," Sailor Mars said, garnering a disapproving look from Jupiter.

"So you know of the Sealing Words too, Sailor Mars?" Tuxedo Mask asked, to which the raven-haired girl nodded.

Sailor Moon brought her hands together anxiously. "So…? What's the magic word?"

Mars nodded. "To escape this dream, we must say the following words exactly: Klaatu, Barada, Nikto."

"Klaatu, Barada, Nikto," Sailor Moon repeated. She and the other Soldiers looked around as if waiting for something to happen. "Uh… why didn't it work?"

"We all have to say it together. Only then will their power be great enough to free us from Morpheus' Dreamscape," the masked man informed.

"Alright! On three everyone!" the blonde squeaked. "Klaatu, Barada-"

Tuxedo Mask held up a hand to stop her. "First, we all have to join hands in a circle or prayer."

"Come on! You're making me so nervous!" Moon whined.

Jupiter just sneered. "Join hands in a circle? What is this, a little girl's cartoon?"

"Jupiter," Mercury interjected. "Just go with it."

Hearing the little genius admit that mumbo-jumbo magic was the answer, the brunette relented and walked over to the others. The four Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask all stood in a circle, spreads their arms wide, and joined their hands together.

"Your hands are really sweaty…" Mars snapped at Jupiter.

"I'm wearing gloves! How can you even tell?" she shot back.

"Not now, girls!" Tuxedo Mask said sternly. "Once we get out of here, it's going to be a fight for our lives…"

Their banter now over, the girls all took a deep breath as the caped crusader began to count down.

"One… two… three!"

"KLAATU, BARADA, NIKTO!"

FLAAAASSSH!

* * *

Rei slowly opened her eyes, finding herself cross-legged in a meditative position. She looked up and saw Morpheus floating overhead, curled into a fetal position and smiling innocently. She remembered breaking into the school and quickly finding the source of all the dark energy. If not for her blossoming spiritual skills, this entire situation may have been hopeless.

"Yo, Rei!" Makoto called from across the gym. Rei looked over and saw the brunette helping Ami to her feet, the two quickly pulling out their Transformation Pens.

"You wake Usagi up! And we'll do the same to Morpheus!" Ami said.

"MERCURY POWER, MAKE UP!"

"JUPITER POWER! MAKE UP!"

"-agi! Usagi! Get up!"

The blonde's eyes snapped open as she was violently shaken awake by her raven-haired friend.

"Mmmm… five more minutes…" she groaned, rolling over and trying to close her eyes once again. Of course, Rei was quick to turn her towards the center of the gymnasium and pull her eyelids open, revealing Morpheus still floating above the sleeping students. Jupiter and Mercury had already transformed and were dodging tendrils of dark smoke the the tiny sheep of a god was hurling at them. "Oh, right!" Usagi squeaked before jumping to her feet and holding up her Transformation Brooch.

"MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

"MARS POWER! MAKE UP!"

Once the two remaining Soldiers transformed, all four formed a line and faced the angry god. However adorable their foe might be, the red eyes glaring down at them didn't lie; they had defied him, and now he wanted them dead.

"Let's give him everything we've got, girls!" Moon declared, prompting her teammates to take up attacks positions next to her. The Soldier of Justice pulled her golden tiara from her forehead and transformed it into the sharp disk she'd used to slay many monsters before.

"MOON TIARA BOOMERANG!"

"MERCURY AQUA MIST!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Water, fire and thunder all circled and enveloped Moon's tiara as the weapon hurdled towards Morpheus. The tiny god unleashed a horde of smoke tendrils in retaliation, but the supercharged tiara continued on its course and sailed right through the smoke. Morpheus was helpless to react as the tiara got closer, closer, closer…

"GRRRAAAAHH!"

The Soldiers' combined attack collided with the God of Dreams, instantly slicing through him and causing him to burst into a puff of purple smoke. All at once, the gymnasium went quiet for a brief moment.

"Is… that it?" Moon asked, breaking the silence.

"Some god he turned out to be…" Jupiter sneered.

Sailor Mercury, instead of joining in on the gloating, scanned the gymnasium. "Hold on, guys. The smoke is still covering the school, and all the girls are still asleep," she said, concern rising in her voice.

"Relax, Big Blue. Maybe it just takes time to fade away, like fog or something," Jupiter reassured.

"No, she's right," Mars interjected. "This isn't over. I can still feel a strong evil presence…"

"Wait a minute," Moon said suddenly. "Murphy… he was here with all of us! Where'd he go?"

CLAP… CLAP… CLAP…

The four Soldiers all turned around to the sound of slow, sarcastic applause to find the sound coming from none other than Murphy himself, facing them with a smug, satisfied grin.

"I know you mortals love the use of the slow, sarcastic clap," Murphy snickered. "I must admit, I'm impressed you all escaped the Dreamscape, though I'm also rather irritated that it cost me a perfectly good avatar."

Mercury's mind went blank for a moment. "Mortals? Avatar?" she squeaked with confusion.

"Alright, that's it!" Jupiter injected furiously. "Just who the hell are you, pretty boy?"

Mars quickly put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay back, Jupiter. This… thing isn't human."

Murphy held his hands up guiltily. "You got me. I'm not human," he confirmed. "I'm the one who did all of this. I'm the real Morpheus."

Sailor Moon giggled. "Oh, I get it! Murphy… Morpheus…" She paused for a moment, then gasped. "Wait, so you're evil?! But you're… handsome!"

"Bun-head…" Mars sighed, facepalming.

"So the legend you told all those girls was true?" Mercury questioned. "I-I don't understand! Why would a literal deity take on the likeness of a teenage boy?"

Murphy brushed his hair aside. "For a supposed genius, you sure are close-minded," he mocked the blue-haired girl. "Us gods can't mingle with mortals from the spiritual realm. We need to take on these likenesses in order to carry out our… mischief, so to speak."

"Well, it's time for your mischief to end!" Mars shouted. She closed her palms together in prayer. "Klaatu… Barada-"

"Hold it!" Murphy spat, hold his hand to the air. "If you finish that spell, I'll seal all these girls in the dreamscape forever!" Sailor Mars quickly stopped herself, much to the god's delight. "Not that I would mind. Young girls always have the juiciest dreams…" he slithered.

"Damn creep! Now I'm really gonna break your balls!" Jupiter yelled, her tiara antennae beginning to spark.

Sailor Moon quickly stopped her. "Jupiter, no! He'll hurt the girls!"

"Then how do we stop him?!" the brunette barked back.

"You don't…" Murphy sneered. Just then, the deity felt a rod of cold steel press against his throat, cutting off his breath. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Tuxedo Mask had snuck up behind him, using his cane to put him in a choke hold.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Moon cried with joy.

Murphy struggled to fight back. "So, who's in control this time?" he whispered to his assailant.

"Silence!" Tuxedo Mask growled back, strengthening his pull on the cane, causing Murphy to cough.

"You first!" Murphy responded. He reached back, grabbed Tuxedo Mask by the collar and hurled him over his shoulder, tossing him towards the Sailor Soldiers. Jupiter sprang forward and caught the masked man before he crashed to the ground.

"You okay?" the Soldier of Thunder asked. Tuxedo Mask nodded in reply.

Murphy laughed at the sight of all his adversaries in front of him. "And now you're all back together again, let us begin the final battle!" He stopped and looked at the Soldier of Wisdom. "My dear Mercury, any more wise questions before we proceed?"

"Just one!" she declared. "You're a Greek god, aren't you? What are you doing in Japan?"

Murphy replied with a deep, rage-filled scowl. Without a verbal response, her enveloped his body in the dark smoke. Through the thick fog, the Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask could see the silhouette of Murphy's body cracking, contorting, and growing to massive proportions. All the while, they could hear what sounded like the mix between a young boy's pained cry and a sheep's baah.

Soon enough, a form began to emerge from the smoke. First came a pair of gangly pink arms and legs. The arms looked like nothing but skin and bones, and ended with long, spindly fingers with clawed tips. The legs were a bit more muscular, and ended in a pair of rotting hooves. Next came a hunched torso that was covered in a thick layer of fluffy wool. It was ragged and torn in spot, like the wool of a zombie sheep. Finally came the head, which looked like a sheep's head, but with three black eyes, disgustingly defined cheekbones, and human-like teeth that chattered with laughter.

"I AM MORPHEUS!" the beast roared, towering nearly twenty feet over the Sailor Soldiers. He took up about half the height of the gym and a fourth of its floor space. His claws dug into the wood floor, and his mouth dripped with a boiling-hot drool that burned the floor upon contact.

"Any plans, anyone?" Jupiter asked, the panic in her voice clear as day. Morpheus raised a clawed hand and swung it towards his adversaries.

"Dodge!" Sailor Moon screamed. With quick reflexes, all her friends followed her 'directions' and leapt out of the way as Morpheus' claw crashed into the floor, splintering the wood and narrowly missing a cluster of sleeping girls.

"We have to keep him away from the girls!" Tuxedo Mask shouted.

Hearing this, Morpheus grinned and swung his claws again, this time deliberately targeting a group of girls. Sailor Jupiter leapt in the way and caught his incoming with her tremendous strength. She tried to push him away, but he simply grabbed her and whipped her across the gym, sending her crashing into a set of wooden bleachers.

Mercury brought up her visor and scanned the deity. "I can't find any weak points on him! Do gods even have weak points?" The Soldier of Wisdom ran around looking for any weaknesses, but eventually lost track of her surroundings and ran straight into the path of Morpheus' legs, which he kicked up like a bucking horse, knocking Mercury away like a fly.

"Gods don't, but wool is flammable!" Mars said confidently, forming a fireball in her palm.

"FIRE SOUL!"

She hurled the flaming projectile at Morpheus' wool coat, which caught fire and blazed wildly for a few seconds, before dying out just as quickly.

"Kami-sama, what's he made of?!" Mars spat angrily. Morpheus bared his teeth and snapped his maw at the raven-haired girl. She leapt out of the way just in time, only for the monster to spring forward and headbutt her across the gymnasium.

"Mars! Mercury! Jupiter!" Sailor Moon cried, watching her friends get tossed around like playthings. She looked up to the windows near the top of the gym and saw blackness on the other side. "It's dark out! Maybe I can fry him with my Twilight Flash attack!"

The Soldier of Justice lined herself up with the window, making sure Morpheus was in her path as well. She raised her hand up to her tiara and aimed the gems at the window.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

Much to her surprise, not a single trace of the destructive light emerged from her tiara. Morpheus looked at her, confused, as she slapped the gems in frustration. "What's going on? It's nighttime! I should be able to use the Moon's power!"

"You arrogant moron!" Morpheus chastised with laughter. "It's not nighttime out! My smoke is still covering the school! You're all still trapped in my environment!"

Moon's expression drooped. "Oh…"

WHAM!

Morpheus backhanded the bun-headed girl into the gym's brick wall, cracking the structure and causing the soldier to nearly cough up blood. She tried with all her might to get up, but her body was in excruciating pain and refused to move.

The giant sheep god lumbered towards Sailor Moon, ready to deliver the killing blow. Just then, the beast stumbled as he felt something slam into his leg. He looked down and saw Tuxedo Mask, who has just tripped him up with his cane. Morpheus opened his mouth wide and leaned down to devour the masked hero, only to receive a mouthful of cane. The weapon was now jacked between his teeth, keeping his mouth stuck open.

"Got something in your teeth?" Tuxedo Mask quipped before quickly running over to help Sailor Moon. He knelt down beside her and helped her to her feet. "You still kicking?"

"Every bone in my body feels like it's in pieces, but that doesn't mean I'm done for!" Moon declared confidently. Unfortunately, that confidence dissipated when Morpheus crunched down on Tuxedo Mask's cane, snapping it in half. The evil god turned to his two opponents and snarled viciously. "Crap…" the blonde whimpered.

Morpheus' jaw unhinged like a snake, and from the depths of his throat, a stream of dark smoke shot forward. The smog took the shape of a gnarled, clawed hand, and streaked towards Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.

Thinking on her feet, Moon shoved her savior out of the way just as the smoke claw descended upon them. Summoning up every last bit of strength she could from her battered body, she braced herself and caught the incoming claw by its middle finger and thumb, holding it back.

"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter all screamed simultaneously as the Soldier of Justice desperately struggled against the malevolent deity.

Morpheus' voice boomed throughout the gym. "This has all been fun, Sailor Soldiers, yet insultingly easy! When I'm through with all of you, you'll be locked in an endless nightmare the likes of which you can never escape from! You're all sheep to me, destined to flock before my benevolent might!"

The wood floor beneath Sailor Moon's feet began to crack and splinter as the smoke claw pushed against her. She felt her arms burning and her joints on the edge of giving out. "I can't… let him win… I have to save me friends… my teachers… I have to live to see my wedding with Tuxedo Mask!"

As soon as this thought entered her mind, she felt she smoke claw relieve its push for a brief moment. "What was that?" Morpheus snarled. "What did you just do?!"

"My dream of the wedding…" A million thoughts raced through Moon's head, until it finally came back to the legend Murphy told the girls. "Morpheus creates nightmares, but before he was cursed, he visited happy dreams!" She began to yell as loud as she could, calling for the aid of her friends. "Everyone! Remember the happy parts of your dream! It drains his power!"

Hearing the words of their friend, the Sailor Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask thought back to their dreams before they became nightmares. Ami remembered the delicious dinner with her mother and her girlfriend, Makoto reminisced about her parents and her dream to live in Flowerland, Tuxedo Mask called to mind the happy times with his mom and dad, and Rei thought of something she had kept to herself for a long time…

Morpheus felt his body twinge and contort with agony as a painfully positive feeling came over him. It was like a fiery knife to his soul. He watched in horror as his smoke claw attack slowly dissipated and faded into the air.

"Wha… what happened?! My power!" he bellowed furiously.

Sailor Moon composed herself and faced the monstrous god with fierce, narrow eyes. "You showed us the things we want most in the world, the dreams that make us happy! And no nightmare you push into our brains will ever destroy that happiness!" As Morpheus stared at the girl in rage and awe, the Soldier of Love and Justice took off her tiara and charged it up.

"Sailor Moon!" the others all shouted at once. "DO IT!"

"MOON… TIARA… BOOMERANG!"

Sailor Moon threw the empowered jewelry with what strength she could muster, aiming right for the beast's bared fangs. "Damn you…" Morpheus whispered as the tiara connected with his jaw, slicing the top half of his head from the rest of his body.

Sailor Moon's tiara returned to her forehead as she basked in the relief of her victory. "I guess even gods crumble under the power of Love!" she declared in a cheesy superhero voice.

As if in response, a black entity surrounded in a purple aura emerged from the ashes; the spirit of Morpheus. With an enraged screech, the spirit charged at Moon, ready to kill. The blonde soldier found herself unable to move. All her energy expended from her previous efforts.

Suddenly, Sailor Mars jumped in the way.

"KLAATU, BARADA, NIKTO!"

"GGRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!"

In the blink of an eye, the spirit was gone. Morpheus was no more.

The Soldier of Passion gasped for breath, relieved that her suicidal maneuver worked out. She heard a similar gasp and turned to see Sailor Moon losing her balance. She caught her exhausted friend with ease.

"Take it easy, Bun-Head," Mars said softly.

"Rei… why are you so mean…" Moon whispered back before her eyes drifted closed.

Tuxedo Mask, Mercury and Jupiter all limped over to the pair, looking concerned at the unconscious Sailor Moon. "Will she be okay?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

"SNOOOORE… SNORK…"

"That answer your question?" Mars giggled, followed by the others. They cringed slightly as light pierced through the gym windows. Morpheus' smoke began disappearing from all over the school.

Behind them, the sleeping girls from Murphy's ritual began to stir. The four conscious heroes took one look at each other and nodded. Tuxedo Mask took Sailor Moon in his arms and followed the girls as they all escaped from the gymnasium before they were noticed.

* * *

The next day, Usagi, Ami, Rei and Makoto all met up at the Crown Arcade, wrapped head to toe in bandages. Luna sat on the table, giving her subordinates a suspicious glare.

"The Greek god Morpheus, eh?" she sneered. "You know, it's okay to admit if you all got your butts kicked by a monster."

"Ha! Us getting our butts kicked? As if!" Makoto bragged.

Rei rolled her eyes. "You were the first one to go down…" she chided.

The brunette shot her a glare. "At least I didn't use some stupid logic like 'wool is flammable, so that must mean I can burn a literal deity!'"

"Alright, you all had a rough time! Now calm down!" Luna said frustratedly.

"I can't imagine how the police are gonna explain Murphy. I mean, he couldn't have had parents, right?" Usagi asked. "What's the news going to say?"

"Actually, I was talking to a couple of my cram school classmates who go to Juuban, and none of them remember Murphy or anything that happened," Ami informed.

"Seriously?" Usagi gasped.

Luna raised and eyebrow. "My, isn't that awfully convenient?"

"For crying out loud, what would it take to convince you?!" Makoto snapped.

"Nothing. You can't convince me," Luna said firmly. "I believe Morpheus has far better things to do than mingle with middle schoolers."

"Why are you saying that like you know him?" Ami asked.

Luna flinched a bit at her comment. "It just… makes sense, you know? Why would a god ever do such a thing?"

Rei sighed and rubbed her temple. "I'm relieved we survived, but it pains me to know a monster like that is still out there."

"Eh?!" the other three yelped.

"Gods don't die so easily," the young martial artist pointed out. "We may have banished his spirit, but that doesn't mean he's gone for good."

"Well, if he comes back, we'll just have to kick his ass all over again!" Makoto declared.

"With the power of love!" Usagi joined in, after which she and the taller girl shared a fist bump.

"Speaking of, what did you contribute back there, Rei?" Ami questioned.

Rei looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"We all used the happy parts of our dreams to weaken Morpheus," she reminded. "I thought of my mom, Makoto her parents, Usagi her… wedding, so what did you think of?"

"Yeah! What was it?" Usagi eagerly asked.

Rei just crossed her arms and turned away. "Hmph! I don't have to share that with any of you!"

"Aw, c'mon ReiRei! No fair!" the blonde complained.

"Yeah, spit it out, you wuss!" Makoto pushed.

"Give it up, guys," Ami consoled. "I mean, it was obviously her grandfather."

"Y-Yeah! Of course it was!" Rei confirmed.

Usagi got all up in the girl's face. "Really? You sure you weren't thinking of how amazing a friend I am?" she said teasingly.

"Keep dreaming, Bun-Head!" As the bun-headed girl whined about her nickname, Rei turned her head away to hide her smile and ever-so-faint blush.

-End of Special 1

* * *

Well, there we go! I hope the wait was worth it! And just remember, it's not canon, so any and all plot holes are non-existent XD

Let me know if y'all want to see another special like this!


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